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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insular
Despite his gift, Kikuo must resort to questionable tactics to maintain his standing in the insular community.
—
Ryan Swen, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
In contrast with the preceding formations, which had been as diverse as the United States itself, nearly all the Green Berets were tall, square-jawed, and white, a reflection of the Special Forces’ insular, misogynistic culture and homogenous racial composition.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
From my observations, older adults often rely on a spouse or a caregiver in a more insular family structure.
—Kristine Johnson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Ryan Swen, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
In contrast with the preceding formations, which had been as diverse as the United States itself, nearly all the Green Berets were tall, square-jawed, and white, a reflection of the Special Forces’ insular, misogynistic culture and homogenous racial composition.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Friends set was notorious for being cliquey and insular.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
From my observations, older adults often rely on a spouse or a caregiver in a more insular family structure.
—Kristine Johnson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular
Adjective
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Aquila served as a parochial vicar in two parishes from 1976 to 1982 and then as pastor at Denver’s Guardian Angels Parish from 1982 to 1987.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
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Or if that is not parochial enough, there are some decent Carabao Cup ties on Tuesday, with Manchester United’s conquerors Grimsby Town going to Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace hosting Millwall, a replay of last season’s bruising FA Cup clash.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Designed for portability and performance The DGX Spark is small enough to fit in a backpack yet powerful enough to run modern AI reasoning models.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
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The lasagna gets topped with a layer of small, early spring bulbs like crocuses.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Who among us hasn’t fantasized in the shower about exacting elaborate revenge for petty upsets, or lain awake trying to reframe our humiliations as epic tales of triumph?—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Oct. 2025
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Strahinja Jokic, 43, was sentenced to a year of probation on the misdemeanor and petty offenses, according to the Denver district attorney’s office.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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On closer inspection, Capital Economics said Beijing’s policy is actually narrower in scope than initially feared.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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The Hornbein and Japanese Couloirs are defined by their steep, icy, and narrow conditions and the high risk of avalanches.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insular. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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