Synonyms of insular

insular

adjective

ˈin(t)-su̇-lər 

as in parochial

not broad or open in views or opinions

an insular community that is not receptive of new ideas, especially from outsiders

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parochial
• small
• petty
• narrow
• provincial
• little
• narrow-minded
• sectarian
• stubborn
• small-minded
• illiberal
• Lilliputian
• picayune
• rigid
• bigoted
• partisan
• wrongheaded
• obstinate
• reactionary
• discriminatory
• ironbound
• intolerant
• obdurate
• limited
• hidebound
• biased
• dogmatic
• stodgy
• inflexible
• prejudiced
• opinionated
• discriminating
• straitlaced
• old-fashioned
• unyielding
• unsophisticated
• partial
• jaundiced
• opinionative
• one-sided
• stuffy
• set
• hick
• brassbound

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberal
• cosmopolitan
• open
• tolerant
• receptive
• catholic
• impartial
• objective
• unbiased
• nonpartisan
• unprejudiced
• broad-minded
• open-minded
• freethinking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of insular

The scale of private capital available to entrepreneurs has made the tech industry a particularly insular space. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Set against the remote, insular world of its titular island, production designer Steve Arnold and set decorator Jennifer Engel created a lived-in, slightly stuck in time and, when necessary, deeply unsettling environment. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026

For example, academic departments often become insular, scholars may quickly dismiss unfamiliar perspectives without enough knowledge, and some fields would benefit from broader intellectual and methodological representation. — Marybeth Gasman, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

And so there does appear to be an emotional network in the brain — areas like the amygdala, the anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and some other areas that seem to confer an emotional component of pain. — Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026