insular

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

/ ˈɪn sə lər, ˈɪns yə- /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR insular ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to an island or islands: insular possessions.

dwelling or situated on an island.

forming an island: insular rocks.

detached; standing alone; isolated.

of, relating to, or characteristic of islanders.

narrow-minded or illiberal; provincial: insular attitudes toward foreigners.

Pathology. occurring in or characterized by one or more isolated spots, patches, or the like.

Anatomy. pertaining to an island of cells or tissue, as the islets of Langerhans.

noun

an inhabitant of an island; islander.

Origin of insular

From the Late Latin word insulāris, dating back to 1605–15. See insula, -ar¹

OTHER WORDS FROM insular

in·su·lar·ism, noun in·su·lar·i·ty, noun in·su·lar·ly, adverb in·ter·in·su·lar, adjective

trans·in·su·lar, adjective un·in·su·lar, adjective

Words nearby insular

insufflate, insufflation, insufflation anesthesia, insula, insulant, insular, insular celtic, insularize, insulate, insulating tape, insulation

Example sentences from the Web for insularity

But Brown has no interest in insularity or convenient resolutions.

Deepwater Horizon: Life Drowning in Oil |Samuel Fragoso |November 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He has spent years alleging bias and insularity in the scientific community.

When Creationists Collide with Stephen Colbert |Michael Schulson |December 15, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
The insularity extends to the “papabile”—the roll call of possible, even likely popes.

The Catholic Church Is Insular and Intolerant |Robert Shrum |March 8, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
This insularity is a long-held and well-known habit of this administration when setbacks happen, and it's not admirable.

Obama and the World, and the Wrongheaded Right |Michael Tomasky |September 26, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

The Shalit trade is not an aberration, but a reflection of Israeli insularity that has grown stronger in recent months and years.

Shalit Was Worth It |Micah Stein |July 20, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
The English because of their insularity had been political amateurs for endless generations.

Mr. Britling Sees It Through |H. G. Wells
Characteristics of insularity, owing to barriers to dispersal and movement, tend to be lacking in the makeup of the avifauna here.

The Breeding Birds of Kansas |Richard F. Johnston
Left to itself, the insularity in him would have evaded the issue.

The Helpers |Francis Lynde
Strangest of all, we have come, in our English insularity, to look on this as a matter of course.

The Booklover and His Books |Harry Lyman Koopman
The great disadvantage of a 'Varsity is the insularity of mind which it is apt to breed.

War Letters of a Public-School Boy |Paul Jones.

British Dictionary definitions for insularity

insular

/ (ˈɪnsjʊlə) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling an island

remote, detached, or aloof

illiberal or narrow-minded

isolated or separated

Derived forms of insular

insularism or insularity (ˌɪnsjʊˈlærɪtɪ), noun insularly, adverb

Word Origin for insular

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

Medical definitions for insularity

insular

[ ĭn′sə-lər, ĭns′yə- ]

adj.

Of or being an isolated tissue or island of tissue.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

insular

adjective

noun

Origin of insular

OTHER WORDS FROM insular

Words nearby insular

Example sentences from the Web for insularity

British Dictionary definitions for insularity

adjective

Derived forms of insular

Word Origin for insular

Medical definitions for insularity

adj.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

insular

adjective

noun

Origin of insular

OTHER WORDS FROM insular

Words nearby insular

Words related to insularity

Example sentences from the Web for insularity

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for insularity

adjective

Derived forms of insular

Word Origin for insular

Medical definitions for insularity

adj.

British Dictionary definitions for insularity