insider

noun

in·sid·er | \ (ˌ)in-ˈsī-dər

, ˈin-ˌsī-\

Definition of insider

: a person recognized or accepted as a member of a group, category, or organization: such as

a : a person who is in a position of power or has access to confidential information

b : a person (such as an officer or director) who is in a position to have special knowledge of the affairs of or to influence the decisions of a company

Examples of insider in a Sentence

Political insiders say that she is planning to run for president. The book gives fans an insider's view of Hollywood.

Recent Examples on the Web

That gives the mayor a timely platform to hammer the idea regular Chicagoans are getting short shrift while powerful political insiders enrich themselves at the public’s expense. — John Byrne, chicagotribune.com, "Mayor Lori Lightfoot to introduce ethics package aimed at fighting City Hall corruption," 5 June 2019 Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 FBS teams in the country entering the 2019 season. — Iliana Limón Romero, orlandosentinel.com, "2019 College Football Rankings: No. 81 Marshall pushes to build on bowl win over USF," 5 June 2019 Commissioners on the authority can earn as much as $170,000 per year in what many insiders consider as a plum, patronage job with lucrative benefits that Republicans said could push the package to more than $240,000. — Christopher Keating, courant.com, "Senate approves two-year, $43 billion state budget; Gov. Lamont expected to sign," 5 June 2019 In the wide-ranging speech, the governor departed from the theme of bipartisanship that had peppered his public appearances since his reelection in November, when some GOP insiders started courting him as a potential challenger to President Trump. — Erin Cox, Washington Post, "Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan promises business leaders he will ‘battle’ Democrats," 4 June 2019 Get insider texts about Cleveland City Hall on your phone from Robert Higgs. — Robert Higgs, cleveland.com, "Cleveland to allow electric scooter rentals this summer, targeting key in parts of the city for pilot program," 3 June 2019 Join The Ruling Off the Field to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders. — USA TODAY, "4th & Monday: NFL's top pick draws comparisons to an impressive rising star," 3 June 2019 Another insider told People that the two had a lot in common. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "All the Signs That Zendaya and Tom Holland Are Dating," 10 May 2019 Without insider knowledge to which homes were for sale and a vetting system for scams, though, agents became necessary to bring trust and knowledge to home buying. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "Redfin Now Offers Home Purchases Without An Agent," 9 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insider.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for insider

Last Updated

9 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for insider

The first known use of insider was in 1848

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More Definitions for insider

insider

noun

Financial Definition of insider

What It Is

An insider is an employee, director or any other person who is privy to confidential, nonpublic information about a company.

How It Works

Given their position, managers and executives within a company are privy to information about a company's operations that is not available to the investing public. The news and details of an upcoming merger or special dividend that have not yet been announced are two examples of insider information. Once information has been made public by the company, it is no longer considered "insider" information.

Why It Matters

Individuals with access to insider information have an unfair advantage in the market. Using this information to base a trade is an illegal practice known as "insider trading."

It is also illegal for a person with insider information to pass it to a third party so that they may use the information to profit.

Source: Investing Answers

insider

noun

English Language Learners Definition of insider

: a person who belongs to a group or organization and has special knowledge about it

See the full definition for insider in the English Language Learners Dictionary

insider

noun

in·sid·er | \ in-ˈsī-dər

Kids Definition of insider

: a member of a group or organization who has information about it

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insider

noun

in·sid·er

Legal Definition of insider

: a person who is in a position of power or has access to confidential information: as

a : one (as an officer, director, employee, relative, or owner of more than 10% of the corporation's stock) who is in a position to have special knowledge of the affairs of or to influence the decisions of a company

b : an individual (as a relative or an influential party) or entity (as a corporate affiliate) having a close relationship with a debtor such that transactions are not made at arm's length and are subject to closer scrutiny than the transactions of those dealing at arm's length