isle

I1S1L1E1
UK, US/aɪ̯l/

noun

An island, usually very small. Compare with islet.

Similar
islet
OriginMiddle English ile ← Old French ille ← Latin insula →
CommonScrabble 4
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Meanings

isle1

nounisle (plural isles)

plural isles

  1. An island, usually very small. Compare with islet.

isle2

nounisle (plural isles)

plural isles

  1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of aisle.

Isle3

proper noun

alternative Ile

  1. A minor city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States.
  2. A commune near Limoges, Haute-Vienne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
  3. A river in Somerset, England, which flows into the River Parrett.
  4. A river in southwestern France, which flows into the Dordogne.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna small island

Similar
islet
Broader
island
Also see
aisleislandisletniihau

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latininsula
  2. Old Frenchille
  3. Middle Englishile
  4. Englishisle

From Middle English ile, yle (with s added, similar to English island), borrowed from Old French ille, idle, isle, from Latin insula. Not related to island. Doublet of insula.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with isle

filewhilestylemilechilesmiletilecompilekylepileNilevolatileCarlisleworthwhileawhileaisleLylereptilebileargyllguileCarlyleargylevile
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

I'llaisle

Anagrams

liesilesLiseElissileSeil
Cite this entry
APA

isle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/isle

MLA

“isle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/isle. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “isle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/isle.

Source: isle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.