insider

noun

in·​sid·​er (ˌ)in-ˈsī-dər 

ˈin-ˌsī-

: 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

The insider has all three — which is precisely why the insider's silence is the expensive kind. — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

The charges were part of a larger case that implicated 11-year NBA veteran Damon Jones and claimed that non-public insider information was being sold to and used by gamblers to profit on NBA games. — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Despite lofty expectations, Saudi league insiders say success is if standards are comparable to Dutch clubs rather than Europe’s elite clubs. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 30 July 2026

Lambert also confirmed the chilling effect described by industry insiders extends beyond the letter of the law. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing insider

• insider trading

Rhymes for insider

• collider
• confider
• divider
• outsider
• provider
• cider
• cyder
• eider
• glider
• hider
• rider
• schneider

Kids Definition

insider

noun

in·​sid·​er (ˈ)in-ˈsīd-ər 

: a person who is a member of a special group or organization

Legal Definition

insider

noun

in·​sid·​er

: 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