INSULAR Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

insular

adjective

ˈin(t)-su̇-lər

Definition of insular

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of insular Meanwhile, the word on Grand Illusion was getting out beyond the insular arthouse crowd. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026 Edelman shared the data this week at his firm’s annual Trust Summit in New York, where the question on every leader’s mind was how to build trust in an increasingly insular world. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 17 July 2026 The four-day tour through the Rust Belt is a sharp departure for a typically reserved and insular branch of government. — ABC News, 10 July 2026 Judges step off the bench The four-day tour through the Rust Belt is a sharp departure for a typically reserved and insular branch of government. — Sudhin Thanawala, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for insular

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular

Adjective

From a parochial point of view, former Bruin goalie Joonas Korpisalo is now a Blueshirt after being dealt to Broadway on July 1.

— Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 15 July 2026
Many children in Florida attending private, parochial or homeschool programs do not take the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST, test, which is used by Florida’s public school districts to measure students’ achievement.

— Kendall Deas, The Conversation, 6 July 2026

Definition of parochial

Adjective

They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.

— David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

His legal team couched the City Council’s move to weaken the mayor’s authority and strip him of privileges as a petty effort to unseat the youngest mayor in the city’s history, and one who has questioned their leadership.

— Reed Williams, AJC.com, 29 July 2026
One Marchand report contained several petty and embarrassing details about McAfee that clearly came from ESPN insiders.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of petty

Adjective

The narrow waterway passing between Iran and Oman serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
The fighting has severely disrupted shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime choke point that typically handles around a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026