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

PSDs are assigned to senior leaders and their staffs to protect them from insider attacks in friendly territory, enemy forces in war zones, and other threats. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Army Selects New Submachine Gun," 2 Apr. 2019 As a designer whose colorful bohemian clothing is beloved by everyone from fashion insiders to casual shoppers, her mission to make clothing more conscious has been extremely important. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "Interview: Designer Mara Hoffman on Sustainability in Fashion," 22 Mar. 2019 From hosting a screening party to sipping cocktails poolside, Branca shows us her insider tips and tricks for setting the mood like a movie star. — Heather Corcoran, ELLE Decor, "How to Bring Old Hollywood Into Your Home," 19 Mar. 2019 While Viard’s importance to Lagerfeld and Chanel has been well known internally and among industry insiders, her influence has been mostly behind the scenes. — Jessica Iredale, Town & Country, "Virginie Viard, Karl Lagerfeld's Secret Weapon, Succeeds Him at Chanel," 19 Feb. 2019 Visitors have included mostly art world insiders, who’ve supported the project with donations and exhibitions. — Jay Cheshes, WSJ, "James Turrell’s New Masterpiece in the Desert," 14 Jan. 2019 Other industry insiders, like media critic Anita Sarkeesian, as well as game-makers who came to Quinn’s defense, quickly became targets too. — Marie Claire, "She's Got Game," 5 Dec. 2018 In the weeks leading up to the show, many fashion insiders, including models like Kendall Jenner, who walked in the show, have highlighted their support for the trans community and dissatisfaction with Victoria's Secret's lack of inclusivity. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "Halsey Responds to Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Controversy," 3 Dec. 2018 From the perspective of an industry insider, a consumer and an African, the dots just didn’t connect. — Georgia Murray, refinery29.com, "Where To Find The Coolest African Designers Online," 28 June 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.

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Statistics for insider

Last Updated

14 Apr 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