isle

1 of 2

noun

ˈī(-ə)l 

plural isles

: island

Pacific isles

Steering with due course toward the isle of Rhodes …

—William Shakespeare

especially : a small island : islet

I once lived on the … island of Antiparos, a tiny isle behind Paros.

—Emily Prager

Islay is a small Hebridean isle, some 25 miles in length, with a population of less than 4,000, yet it boasts eight of the oldest and most famous distilleries in Scotland.

—Henry Shukman

isle

2 of 2

verb

isled; isling

transitive verb

1

: to make an isle of

2

: to place on or as if on an isle

Synonyms

Noun

• island
• islet

Examples of isle in a Sentence

Noun

the Australian seas are rife with uninhabited isles

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a production setting, there isn’t a band of wildlife going up and down the isles eating and expelling seeds. —Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2025

Previously, Nobu Barbuda’s clientele mostly included day-trippers from other isles, though the locale can expect a wave of new customers once the hotel opens its doors. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2025

These wild isles are truly among the best and most beautiful in the world. —Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024

Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti have already been spotted swimming on the isle, and TAO hospitality group founder Noah Tepperberg and his family have also been posting St. Barts snaps on their Instagrams. —Gillian Telling, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French ile, isle, from Latin insula

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

isle

noun

ˈī(ə)l

: island sense 1

especially : islet

Etymology

Noun

from early French isle "isle, island," from Latin insula "island" — related to insulate, isolate, peninsula