insider

noun in·sid·er \ (ˌ)in-ˈsī-dər , ˈin-ˌsī- \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 2018

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

See insider defined for English-language learners

See insider defined for kids

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 of insider from the Web

Race insider Jim Ayello previews the Honda Indy Toronto.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Scott Dixon climbs back atop IndyCar mountain as Hondas dominate Day 1 in Toronto," 13 July 2018
Like Jil Sander, the first prominent designer to engage with the brand, all those designers are notably talented but famous largely among fashion insiders and obsessives.

— New York Times, "Roger Federer Wants to Win a New Game," 12 July 2018
This time, it’s Dillon Frank (Kevin McGarry), a hunky music insider… who happens to have a wife.

— refinery29.com, "TV Loves Calling Out Cheaters Right Now," 10 July 2018
In an industry built on eliminating human error, insiders have started to admit that building a flawless vehicle will be almost impossible.

— aarian marshall, WIRED, "Home From the Honeymoon, the Self-Driving Car Industry Faces Reality," 13 July 2018
These leaders reap a distinct advantaged from being insiders, but aren’t handcuffed by legacy challenges.

— alexi nazem, STAT, "Health care needs more physician CEOs like Atul Gawande," 13 July 2018
Attacks on my family and smears from scared establishment insiders are swamp campaigning 101.

— bryan lowry, kansascity, "‘His social views were liberal.’ Candidate met with Dems before launching GOP run," 13 July 2018
But such skeptics may be ripe for conversion – now that the keen artistic awareness that insiders have long recognized in Lang Lang may well emerge with more regularity, if only because his younger self is still on the sidelines.

— david patrick stearns, Philly.com, "Lang Lang's recovery: Will he ever play in Philly again?," 12 July 2018
Seattle insider Steve Bunin says the Seattle Seahawks have lost a certain swagger with several big-name departures from the defense.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "Report: Jerry Jones’ former corporate ally at Papa John’s resigns after using racial slur," 12 July 2018

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.

First Known Use of insider

1848

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Financial Definition of INSIDER

insider

noun

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 Defined for English Language Learners

insider

noun

Definition of insider for English Language Learners

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

INSIDER Defined for Kids

insider

noun in·sid·er \ in-ˈsī-dər \

Definition of insider for Students

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

Law Dictionary

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