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

According to the insider, the baby’s middle name, Bean, is a reference to late singer and activist Carl Bean, who co-founded the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a faith group that welcomed the LGBTQ+ community. — Marzia Nicolini, Vanity Fair, 19 Sep. 2026

As baseball owners prepare for a lockout, in a push for the salary cap that would drive franchise values higher, insiders anticipate the MLB expansion fee could settle around or even above the $4 billion range. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Hollywood insiders claimed that state budget bill SB 122 could undo the goodwill created by that tax credit expansion. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026

Relaxed rules for Brits Travel industry insiders say the upheaval didn’t start with Thursday’s announcement, but two years ago, when the rules changed under an Australia-UK free trade agreement. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 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