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
The strongest lingering image of Vernon in the broader culture is still the bearded woodsman who retreated to the wilderness with a broken heart and returned with a gnomic, insular album that would against all odds come to define its era, or at least one tendency within it.
—
Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Westmont is a small, insular community often selected for its security — when are people going to start moving out?
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Its architecture firms export designs across the world, but only a handful of outside auteurs manage to penetrate the city’s insular development world, not always with great success.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Her influence has already transcended the insular world of high fashion, boasting collaborations with H&M and Adidas.
—Harry Booth, Time, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insular
Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Westmont is a small, insular community often selected for its security — when are people going to start moving out?
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Its architecture firms export designs across the world, but only a handful of outside auteurs manage to penetrate the city’s insular development world, not always with great success.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
Her influence has already transcended the insular world of high fashion, boasting collaborations with H&M and Adidas.
—Harry Booth, Time, 27 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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August 23 – September 22 One small fix today could make everything run better.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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These mad scientists then trained a small flock of sheep to recognize four celebrities—Emma Watson, Barack Obama, Jake Gyllenhaal, and the BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce—from their pictures on the internet.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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Of course, David went on to build one of the most illustrious careers in television with characters who are often arrogant, petty and unlikable by traditional media standards.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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Middle school is, famously, a time of petty cruelty and small-scale social Darwinism.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Rebecca Green, a law professor and director of the Election Law Program at William & Mary Law School in Virginia, said the court there rejected the redistricting plan based on narrow grounds pertaining to Virginia law on amending the state Constitution, which doesn’t apply in California.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Their job is to create a fire line, clearing a narrow strip of land down to soil and removing flammable vegetation to help slow or stop the fire's spread.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insular. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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