INSULAR Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

insular

adjective

ˈin(t)-su̇-lər

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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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 Through candid interviews with his coaches, doctors, family members and the two great rivals who helped define his career, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, the documentary puts its audience at the center of the insular inner circle of one of the most famous athletes on the planet. —

Ava Wallace, New York Times, 29 May 2026 Seven in ten people worldwide now have what Edelman researchers describe as an insular trust mindset. —

Jonathan Jordan, Fortune, 27 May 2026 Malek, with an insular and crestfallen moodiness, plays Jimmy as a man caught between liberation and AIDS, between wanting to be a breakout performer and waiting to stay true to his subversive drag soul. —

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2026 The result feels expansive rather than insular. —

Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for insular

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular

Adjective

In the most parochial place that ever was or ever will be, authenticity functions as a means of psychic gatekeeping, and someone who doesn’t speak the lingua Francona isn’t someone who’s worth listening to when the game’s on.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 June 2026
Of course, the ever-parochial instincts of Chicago, where neighborhood loyalties rule and aldermen are fiercely protective of their ward domains, means the decision on the location of any future Leo landmark could be contentious.

— Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026