insular
/'insjulə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a narrow or limited outlook; not interested in or receptive to new ideas, cultures, or people outside one's own immediate experience. This meaning describes a mindset that is isolated, provincial, or parochial.
- Suggestive of the isolated life of an island; remote, detached, or inward-looking. This sense conveys a feeling of being cut off or self-contained, like an island.
- Relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island. This is the literal geographical meaning.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective (Narrow outlook):
- His insular views prevented him from appreciating the value of international cooperation.
- The community's insular attitude made it difficult for newcomers to feel welcome.
- Adjective (Isolated, detached):
- She led an insular life, rarely venturing beyond her small town.
- The novel depicts the insular world of a remote mountain village.
- Adjective (Relating to an island):
- The country's insular geography influenced its unique ecosystem.
- They studied the insular flora and fauna.
Advanced Usage
- "Insularity" (noun): The quality or state of being insular.
- The insularity of the region was slowly eroded by tourism and global trade.
- "Insularism" (noun): A synonym for insularity, emphasizing the doctrine or practice of being insular.
- The policy was criticized as a form of economic insularism.
Variants and Related Words
- Insularly (adverb): In an insular manner.
- The society functioned insularly, with little external contact.
- Peninsular (adjective): Relating to a peninsula. (Note: This is a related geographical term but with a different meaning).
Synonyms
- Parochial: Having a limited or narrow outlook or scope.
- Provincial: Not fashionable or sophisticated; narrow-minded.
- Narrow-minded: Not willing to listen to or tolerate other people's views.
- Isolated: Far away from other places, buildings, or people; remote.
Antonyms
- Cosmopolitan: Familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures.
- Broad-minded: Willing to accept opinions and beliefs that are different from your own.
- Receptive: Willing to consider or accept new suggestions and ideas.
- Open-minded
Related Idioms/Phrases
- "Live in an insular world": To live a life detached from broader realities or diverse influences.
- The aristocracy of the time lived in an insular world of their own.
- "Insular thinking": A pattern of thought characterized by a narrow, inward-looking perspective.
- The company's failure was attributed to insular thinking at the executive level.
Adjective
- narrowly restricted in outlook or scope
- little sympathy with parochial mentality
- insular attitudes toward foreigners
- suggestive of the isolated life of an island; so deeply private as to seem inaccessible to the scrutiny of a novelist"- Leonard Michaels
- an exceedingly insular man
- relating to or characteristic of or situated on an island
- insular territories
- Hawaii's insular culture