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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Recent major outbreaks in Texas, South Carolina and Pennsylvania reveal the threat of measles in undervaccinated, insular communities. — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026 To recover her daughter, Gulzhan must reckon with both the insular community and the darker currents of a heritage that refuses to yield. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 The scale of private capital available to entrepreneurs has made the tech industry a particularly insular space. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Set against the remote, insular world of its titular island, production designer Steve Arnold and set decorator Jennifer Engel created a lived-in, slightly stuck in time and, when necessary, deeply unsettling environment. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insular

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular

Adjective

Since 2015, a flurry of cases has decided issues as parochial as how much individual athletes are paid out of broadcast revenues and how long student athletes are eligible to play.

— Sen. Rand Paul OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Back then the age of discovery was at its peak, and startling new information about what had previously been a very parochial planet was flooding into the academies of Europe and the Americas.

— Ian Tattersall, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of parochial

Adjective

Stanley’s co-defendant, unsuccessful county commissioner candidate and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus driver Heather Morrow, was found guilty of the petty offenses and the misdemeanor assault charge.

— Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Letts makes the most of his brief screen time as a manipulator whose petty genius lies in creating an artificial scarcity for his affections.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of petty

Adjective

But do such experiences meet the narrow definition of attachment?

— Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
When the pollsters gave likely voters additional, critical information about both candidates, Bass shot up by 5 points and took a narrow lead over Raman, 40% to 39%, with 21% undecided, according to FM3.

— James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026