as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
an insular community that is not receptive of new ideas, especially from outsiders
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Recent Examples of insular
Integrative regions such as the temporal poles and insular cortex allow both positive and negative events to fit together, potentially into a framework that facilitates long-term well-being.
—
Anthony Vaccaro, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2025
Longtime Mumford & Sons fans know that the group, when operating as a whole, has remained largely insular over the years, rarely venturing outside of their ranks for collaborative efforts under their singular moniker.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Unlike Chakrabarti, Wiener has also been a part of San Francisco’s insular community for decades, and has his own base of support — though he is considered a moderate to Chakrabarti’s progressiveness.
—Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Daniels insisted the impact of the shutdown on air traffic controllers was not just insular and would continue to impact the aviation sector and broader American economy.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Anthony Vaccaro, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2025
Longtime Mumford & Sons fans know that the group, when operating as a whole, has remained largely insular over the years, rarely venturing outside of their ranks for collaborative efforts under their singular moniker.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Unlike Chakrabarti, Wiener has also been a part of San Francisco’s insular community for decades, and has his own base of support — though he is considered a moderate to Chakrabarti’s progressiveness.
—Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Daniels insisted the impact of the shutdown on air traffic controllers was not just insular and would continue to impact the aviation sector and broader American economy.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular
Adjective
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Working-class voters visiting a Reform clubhouse were more likely to find young professionals discussing weighty matters of foreign policy rather than parochial issues like street paving.—
Daniel Wortel-London,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
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Looming over the desk is a giant cross made of yardsticks, those famous instruments of parochial-school torment, formed into a set of crosshairs.—
Alex Jovanovich,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The cost for the statue is estimated at $300,000, with half of the funds already raised by two large donations from Rainbow Sandals and Sonance, an audio equipment company based in San Clemente, as well as several smaller community contributions.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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Despite Jones’ contract only being 50% guaranteed for next season, waiving him for a small amount of savings may not be in the Pacers best interest anyway.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
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Who is not petty or vindictive.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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ClassPass, the fitness subscription service, illustrates how narrow the line can be between improving conversion and alienating users.—
Esade Business & Law School,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Portland was able to build that narrow halftime lead behind a 33-15 advantage from three-point range.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insular. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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