insular
Americanadjective
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narrow-minded or illiberal; provincial.
insular attitudes toward foreigners.
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standing alone; detached; isolated.
an insular building.
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of or relating to an island or islands.
a nation's insular possessions.
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dwelling or situated on an island.
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forming an island.
insular rocks.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of islanders or isolated people.
insular tribes;
insular sects.
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Pathology. occurring in or characterized by one or more isolated spots, patches, or the like.
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Anatomy. pertaining to an island of cells or tissue, as the islets of Langerhans.
noun
adjective
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of, relating to, or resembling an island
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remote, detached, or aloof
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illiberal or narrow-minded
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isolated or separated
Other Word Forms
- insularism noun
- insularity noun
- insularly adverb
- interinsular adjective
- transinsular adjective
- uninsular adjective
Etymology
Origin of insular
From the Late Latin word insulāris, dating back to 1605–15. See insula, -ar 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Today many industry players produce “forever games” like “Minecraft” or “Fortnite,” in which the goal is to lock the player into an insular but endless competition.
“We were extremely inconsiderate, insular and uncommunicative with each other that things like that always spilled on the sidelines,” the drummer said on the podcast.
From Los Angeles Times
Warsh has described the Fed as insular and committed to outdated economic models.
From Barron's
Inside the company, they’ve been both a source of pride for their creative genius and frustration due to their insular culture and budget-busting spending.
“He was quiet, insular and not exactly blessed with social skills,” Mr. Corera writes.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
