insular
adjective
in·su·lar
ˈin(t)-su̇-lər 
-syu̇-,
ˈin-shə-lər
1
: characteristic of an isolated people
especially
: being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint
2
a
: of, relating to, or constituting an island
b
: dwelling or situated on an island
insular residents
3
: of or relating to an island of cells or tissue
Synonyms
Examples of insular in a Sentence
the insular world of boarding schools
an insular community that is not receptive of new ideas, especially from outsiders
Recent Examples on the Web
Even if the Warhol clan may have been too insular to contain Darling’s ambitions, Warhol’s movies partially functioned as a guardrail against a more caustic mainstream film culture.
—
Mayukh Sen, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2024
For our state and the broader economy of the Great Lakes region to benefit from UW-Madison’s scientific and technical prowess, the university’s culture must be less insular and more open to the outside world, particularly to business.
—Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
But right now, a less insular motion picture academy, one that acknowledges the vitality of cinema as a global medium, already feels like its own kind of victory.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024
The more team members started to collaborate, the more the culture shifted from traditional, insular strategies to a dynamic model of open innovation and partnership.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
For years, critics have denounced the outsize financial and philosophical influence of these advocates on the insular research field.
—Brendan Borrell, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, despite the aspirations of the Wisconsin Idea, UW-Madison’s research prowess has stayed locked up by an insular culture that assigned the dirty job of commercializing research to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).
—Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
Online forums were full of obscure, technical information, and the notoriously insular, wealthy market just wasn’t set up for beginner buyers.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2024
The Wall Street Journal’s Heard on the Street column noted that an ongoing government push to improve corporate governance is already making the market less insular, fueling restructurings that simplify corporate structures, and encouraging better capital returns.
—David Michels, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Mayukh Sen, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2024
For our state and the broader economy of the Great Lakes region to benefit from UW-Madison’s scientific and technical prowess, the university’s culture must be less insular and more open to the outside world, particularly to business.
—Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
But right now, a less insular motion picture academy, one that acknowledges the vitality of cinema as a global medium, already feels like its own kind of victory.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024
The more team members started to collaborate, the more the culture shifted from traditional, insular strategies to a dynamic model of open innovation and partnership.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
For years, critics have denounced the outsize financial and philosophical influence of these advocates on the insular research field.
—Brendan Borrell, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, despite the aspirations of the Wisconsin Idea, UW-Madison’s research prowess has stayed locked up by an insular culture that assigned the dirty job of commercializing research to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).
—Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
Online forums were full of obscure, technical information, and the notoriously insular, wealthy market just wasn’t set up for beginner buyers.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2024
The Wall Street Journal’s Heard on the Street column noted that an ongoing government push to improve corporate governance is already making the market less insular, fueling restructurings that simplify corporate structures, and encouraging better capital returns.
—David Michels, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near insular
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insular. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insular
adjective
in·su·lar
ˈin(t)s-(y)ə-lər
ˈin-shə-lər
1
: of, relating to, or forming an island
2
: being isolated or detached
an insular building
3
: not open to new or different ideas : narrow
an insular viewpoint
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