insular

adjective

in·su·lar ˈin(t)-su̇-lər

-syu̇-,

ˈin-shə-lər

Synonyms of insular next

: characteristic of an isolated people

especially : being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint

: of, relating to, or constituting an island

: dwelling or situated on an island

insular residents

: of or relating to an island of cells or tissue

insularism

ˈin(t)-su̇-lə-ˌri-zəm

-syu̇-

ˈin-shə-lə-

noun

insularity

ˌin(t)-su̇-ˈler-ə-tē

-ˈla-rə- -syu̇-

ˌin-shə-ˈler-ə-

-ˈla-rə-

noun

insularly

ˈin(t)-su̇-lər-lē

-syu̇-

ˈin-shə-

adverb

Example Sentences

the insular world of boarding schools an insular community that is not receptive of new ideas, especially from outsiders

Recent Examples on the Web Within the insular world of firefighting, word spread quickly. —

oregonlive, 4 Mar. 2023 While store manager Mads Gobbo and the store’s handful of part-time employees handle most of the day-to-day operations, opening North Figueroa Bookshop was a return to the co-founders’ roots after years in the insular publishing world. —

Max Bell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2023 Whaley says women and minorities struggle to break through In this insular world. —

James Brown, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2023 Time is described by the sun’s rise and set in the insular world of Women Talking, with the return of the men the following day serving as the urgent engine of this conversation. —

Alisson Wood, ELLE, 27 Jan. 2023 The Ricketts family has long been among the most powerful in the insular world of Nebraska politics. —

Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023 She was once determined to document her insular worlds. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2022 That restraint is in keeping with the insular traditions of Japan's press club system in which reporters for the largest news companies regularly trade access to politicians, bureaucrats, and executives for editorial independence. —

Clay Chandler, Fortune, 11 July 2022 This counters the widespread, racially-tinged assumption that Chinese people abroad prefer to resist assimilation and remain in insular communities. —

Kang-chun Cheng, Quartz, 14 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insular.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.