The Articulate Professional online!

- Invigorating and expanding your communication skills
For a more successful, fulfilling life ** Since 1993

Insular

printer friendly format

(pronounced in-suh-lur or ins-yuh-lur)  adjective

Definition

  1. of, pertaining to, or constituting an island; living or situated on an island.   2. detached or isolated, like an island.   3. like or characteristic of islanders; bigoted; narrow-minded, restricted, or provincial in one's ideas, perspective, or experience.

Other Forms

Insularity    (pronounced in-suh-lar-ih-tee or ins-yuh-lar-ih-tee)    noun

Main Example

• It appears that child pornography is still thriving, despite numerous sting operations by law enforcement. This is partly because the Internet affords complete insularity to those participating in this criminal pursuit--they can access child porn from a computer within the privacy of their homes, without having to deal with another person, as would be the case if they had to visit sex shops.

Workplace Examples

• Because Thalia can connect with just about everyone, she has had tremendous success at running our department which, as you know, is like a mini-U.N., comprising people from several countries. Thalia is extremely cosmopolitan and worldly, unlike her predecessor who was rather insular and narrow.
• Our Caribbean branch office leads a pretty insular existence, which is why their methods and procedures are so unique. I'll bet that fewer than five employees from the continental U.S. have ever visited there.

Other Examples

• an executive telling a newcomer: “Twenty years ago, our company had a very self-assured and insular corporate culture; we were almost ‘deaf' to what was happening outside. Even at industry conferences, there was very little contact with other companies' employees.”
• a key reason why the late Katherine Graham so ably shepherded her vast media empire even into her seventies: she shunned insularity and constantly strove to meet people of different backgrounds and age groups
• sociologists warning that staying glued to the Internet for hours and hours during one's leisure time could lead to insularity and diminished social skills
• the often-heard criticism from people of other countries that most Americans are living in an insular world, that they are much too preoccupied with the goings-on at home and don't look beyond to world events

© 2017 V.J. Singal
No part of this may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author.

This Month's Other Words

To help you sharply enhance your vocabulary

The Articulate Professional -- 3rd Edition
Click here for features and sample pages, or place an order.

Copyright © 1999 - 2017 by V.J. Singal. Articulate is a registered trademark.
Questions or comments may be sent directly to the author.
Phone: 281-463-2500, P.O. Box 841155, Houston, TX 77284-1155