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
When that did not occur, the group became more insular and disjointed, and the core group eventually relocated to Texas as followers dwindled sharply.
—
Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
And yet what’s readily apparent is that this weird, fragile, insular family is genuinely keen on folding Tommy into their lives.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Counter to the notion that a focus on caste and community is insular and, therefore, detrimental to business, Jayaraman embraces his heritage with a certain chutzpah and a largesse that makes customers return with their friends and family.
—Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Hungary had music, and the sounds of Las Vegas shifted to be more insular to Sonny’s thoughts.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insular
Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
And yet what’s readily apparent is that this weird, fragile, insular family is genuinely keen on folding Tommy into their lives.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Counter to the notion that a focus on caste and community is insular and, therefore, detrimental to business, Jayaraman embraces his heritage with a certain chutzpah and a largesse that makes customers return with their friends and family.
—Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026
Hungary had music, and the sounds of Las Vegas shifted to be more insular to Sonny’s thoughts.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular
Adjective
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Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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It was found [that] the actual tumor was pretty small.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are some pretty gross, petty and violent acts of revenge.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The shape of a pot affects drainage, with taller, narrower pots draining better than shorter, wider ones.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, previously handled about 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insular. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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