insular

[ in-suh-ler, ins-yuh- ]

adjective

1. narrow-minded or illiberal; provincial:

   insular attitudes toward foreigners.

2. standing alone; detached; isolated:

   an insular building.

3. of or relating to an island or islands:

   a nation's insular possessions.

4. dwelling or situated on an island.
5. forming an island:

   insular rocks.

6. of, relating to, or characteristic of islanders or isolated people:

   insular tribes;

   insular sects.

7. Pathology. occurring in or characterized by one or more isolated spots, patches, or the like.
8. Anatomy. pertaining to an island of cells or tissue, as the islets of Langerhans.

noun

1. an inhabitant of an island; islander.

insular

/ ˌɪnsjʊˈlærɪtɪ; ˈɪnsjʊlə /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling an island
2. remote, detached, or aloof
3. illiberal or narrow-minded
4. isolated or separated

Derived Forms

• ˈinsularly, adverb
• ˈinsularism, noun

Other Words From

• in·su·lar·ism noun
• in·su·lar·i·ty [in-s, uh, --, lar, -i-tee, ins, -y, uh, -] noun
• in·su·lar·ly adverb
• in·ter·in·su·lar adjective
• trans·in·su·lar adjective
• un·in·su·lar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of insular¹

From the Late Latin word insulāris, dating back to 1605–15. See insula, -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of insular¹

C17: from Late Latin insulāris, from Latin insula island, isle

Example Sentences

The Pritzker transforms architects from being merely good practitioners in a fairly insular field into global celebrities.

From The Daily Beast

But the sad reality is that the comics industry is too insular to foster any kind of radical change.

From The Daily Beast

All this observation and self-observation possibly says something very depressing about how insular and self-obsessing we are.

From The Daily Beast

Doing so, he highlighted the degree to which creationism is a decidedly incurious, insular worldview.

From The Daily Beast

The Executive is elected in broad national elections in which discrete and insular minorities carry less weight.

From The Daily Beast

From this point of view, the superiority of the continental over the insular colonies was not to be doubted.

From Project Gutenberg

Horses and dresses are found in the insular forms, but, so far, I have not found a single instance of the tournament.

From Project Gutenberg

The true causes of the depression were not within the control of the Insular Government or of any ruling factor.

From Project Gutenberg

Of the taxes accruing to the Insular Treasury under the above law, 10 per cent.

From Project Gutenberg

The insular failing is elsewhere frequently displayed by the poet in the trying light cast from a misanthrope genius.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• circumscribed
• isolated
• parochial
• petty