insider

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

Updated on: 15 Apr 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

But insiders said that Fasano would tell Malloy in advance of the vote if there were enough votes to block the nomination.

— christopher keating, courant.com, "Citing Homophobia, Gov. Malloy Says Republicans Will Block McDonald Court Nomination," 26 Mar. 2018
With midterm elections looming, insiders say the next few months are crucial.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Congress debates allowing tens of thousands of cars with no steering wheel," 16 Mar. 2018
Rampage's producers wanted to preserve a two-week cushion, say insiders.

— pamela mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, "Charlize Theron's 'Tully' Shifts Release Date to May," 15 Mar. 2018
Advertising insiders say that Madison Avenue's prior ads highlighting female empowerment may have led to an unexpected backlash.

— claire atkinson, NBC News, "Don’t look for #MeToo — or women — in the Super Bowl ads," 30 Jan. 2018
Cronin declined to comment on what Pitino said, but UC insiders said Pitino gave a riveting speech in the Bearcats' locker room and encouraged the team going forward.

— tom groeschen, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Bearcats: What we learned from 23-point romp over South Florida," 14 Jan. 2018
Looking for more theories, recaps, and insider info on all things TV?

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Grown-ish Season 1 Finale Recap: "Back & Forth"," 29 Mar. 2018
But its earnings releases for that year show a sharp decline in revenue from first-class mail delivery of 6.9% to $25.6 billion, a $1.87 billion decline that service insiders concede is an important source of the agency’s financial challenges.

— paul ziobro, WSJ, "Amazon, Despite Trump Tweet, Buoys Postal Service," 29 Mar. 2018
The news comes days after an insider revealed to PEOPLE that the Revenge Body host, 33, has been turning to Kim for advice.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Which Sister Does Pregnant Khloé Kardashian Expect Her Parenting Style to Be Like?," 28 Mar. 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