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
These debates over rhetoric and tactics have been taking place in an insular cultural enclave where forum threads come to vivid life.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
The Insular Lumber Company was also an insular labor colony.
—JSTOR Daily, 19 Nov. 2025
Results showed that videos activated brain areas linked to reward and emotion (the middle frontal gyrus and nucleus accumbens), while sounds alone activated areas tied to emotion and body awareness (the insular cortex).
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Integrative regions such as the temporal poles and insular cortex allow both positive and negative events to fit together, potentially into a framework that facilitates long-term well-being.
—Anthony Vaccaro, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
The Insular Lumber Company was also an insular labor colony.
—JSTOR Daily, 19 Nov. 2025
Results showed that videos activated brain areas linked to reward and emotion (the middle frontal gyrus and nucleus accumbens), while sounds alone activated areas tied to emotion and body awareness (the insular cortex).
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Integrative regions such as the temporal poles and insular cortex allow both positive and negative events to fit together, potentially into a framework that facilitates long-term well-being.
—Anthony Vaccaro, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular
Adjective
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This aligns with findings from empathy research, which distinguishes between parochial empathy (caring for one’s in-group) and universal empathy (concern for all people).—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Working-class voters visiting a Reform clubhouse were more likely to find young professionals discussing weighty matters of foreign policy rather than parochial issues like street paving.—
Daniel Wortel-London,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Caudle told The Associated Press in a recent interview that his vision is to deploy smaller, newer ships when possible instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The small edit stood out for its playful party spirit and the brand was instantly associated to a sense of fun and maximalism unusual in the Scandinavian fashion scene.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But Putin was not going to launch a new war against Turkey’s rebel allies just to save a petty dictator whose own soldiers were deserting.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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Ruling like a petty tyrant from the company’s headquarters in lower Manhattan, Coplan isn’t an easy boss to work with, according to new reporting by the Wall Street Journal.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Such a narrow margin means only a handful of disgruntled GOP members are needed to deal a defeat to their party leadership.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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On that day, the moon will completely cover the sun for several minutes along a narrow path of totality that sweeps across Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insular. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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