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Synonyms

isle

American  
[ahyl] / aɪl /

noun

  1. a small island.

  2. any island.

verb (used with object)

isled, isling

  1. to make into or as if into an isle.

  2. to place on or as if on an isle.

isle British  
/ aɪl /

noun

  1. an island, esp a small one: used in literature and (when cap.) in place names

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • isleless adjective

Etymology

Origin of isle

1250–1300; Middle English i ( s ) le < Old French < Latin īnsula

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.

Based in the British-owned isle of Jersey, CoinShares previously traded on Nasdaq Stockholm in Sweden.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Its origins are a mystery, but it was thought to have been made on Iona before being taken to Kells in Ireland by monks who survived a Viking attack on the Hebridean isle.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The 24-hour guard-gated island is home to fewer than 50 single-family homes—which occupy about three quarters of the isle, while the rest is home to a few condo buildings and hotels.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Like Santorini, Milos is a volcanic isle that is home to one of Greece's most unique beaches, Sarakiniko.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

I will have some run of this isle.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

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.