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 Without that practice, both campus and life can become more insular and sterile. — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Warfield, for her part, is passionate about the resulting blend, which mixes life-or-death struggles with minor squabbles and humanizes the insular world of the upper crust. — Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 In the region, three out of four people report what researchers call an insular mindset. — Juan Carlos Santiago, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 The yearslong feud offers a rare window into the insular world of top-tier science labs, where directors wield outsized authority. — Chris Serres — Boston Globe, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insular

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular

Adjective

And yet, bizarrely, what seems like an entirely parochial story will surely have legs worldwide.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
The pair led an aggressive recruitment effort and injected parochial, populist policy proposals into its traditionally moderate platform.

— Spencer Kimball,Garrett Downs,Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,Justin Papp, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of parochial

Adjective

Morrow is a 45-year-old woman convicted of misdemeanor assault and three petty offenses for blocking a Department of Homeland Security building and touching an agent’s shoulder in south Charlotte last November.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
More recently, Newsom has resisted calls to fund Proposition 36, a ballot measure that levies harsher penalties for petty crime that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2024.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of petty

Adjective

FinFET transistors FinFETs are transistors with narrow silicon channels shaped like upright fins rather than flat structures.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Instead of insisting on playing through pressure, defenders cleared the ball when necessary, stayed compact and protected a narrow lead.

— Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026