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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Ceija Stojka’s small paintings at the Drawing Center swarm with such harrowing incident that viewers may not spot the mystery in the bottom right corner of many of her canvases.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Pistons are small favorites on the road for Game 3.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On the surface, the 50-year-old multimillionaire head coach of LSU getting petty online on a random Saturday in late April is an odd move.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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The souring of their relationship has at times bordered on the petty and personal.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But our understanding of pedantry, denoting the sticklerishness of academic specialists and grammar obsessives, is a relatively narrow one.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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Of course, the narrow bench-style seat will also help shorter riders flat-foot the motorcycle perfectly.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insular. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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