Definition of INSIGHT

Choose the Right Synonym for insight

discernment, discrimination, perception, penetration, insight, acumen mean a power to see what is not evident to the average mind. discernment stresses accuracy (as in reading character or motives or appreciating art). the discernment to know true friends discrimination stresses the power to distinguish and select what is true or appropriate or excellent. the discrimination that develops through listening to a lot of great music perception implies quick and often sympathetic discernment (as of shades of feeling). a novelist of keen perception into human motives penetration implies a searching mind that goes beyond what is obvious or superficial. lacks the penetration to see the scorn beneath their friendly smiles insight suggests depth of discernment coupled with understanding sympathy. a documentary providing insight into the plight of the homeless acumen implies characteristic penetration combined with keen practical judgment. a director of reliable box-office acumen

Examples of insight in a Sentence

… I had a big insight and a little insight about the book. — Rust Hills, Esquire, April 1973 … realizing this gave me no insight into how to correct it. — Bartley McSwine, Change, May–June 1971 … might well offer fresh insights as to the character and extent of the social adaptation involved. — George C. Barker, ETC, Summer 1945 He is a leader of great insight. The author analyzes the problem with remarkable insight. I had a sudden insight. Her book provides us with fresh new insights into this behavior.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nelson also gave a little insight into the security with Bush that night. — Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, "Trash Pandas owner shares sad, happy Sept. 11 memories," 11 Sep. 2019 The long records give us insight into decadal variability and long-term trends. — Denise Chow, NBC News, "Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier may be thinning faster than previously thought," 10 Sep. 2019 Clearly this latest discovery has given new insights into our evolutionary past, but also increased the complexity of the relationships between early hominins. — Hester Hanegraef, Quartz Africa, "The skull of humanity’s oldest known ancestor is changing our understanding of evolution," 7 Sep. 2019 Crockford told Newsweek that the potential discovery could give insight into how Earth in the distant future. — Fox News, "Mass extinction event 2 billion years ago killed 99 percent of life on Earth, study says," 3 Sep. 2019 But her story gave Zaloom insight into the evolving role of college debt in contemporary American life. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "Student Debt Is Transforming the American Family," 2 Sep. 2019 Update July 8, 2019: In a new interview with WSJ Magazine, Kim Kardashian West is giving more insight into the decision to name—and then rename—her forthcoming shapewear line. — Ana Colón, Glamour, "Kim Kardashian Has Renamed Her Shapewear Line," 26 Aug. 2019 Collisions involving neutron stars give astronomers an insight into the properties of these bodies. — The Economist, "Gravitational astronomy proves its maturity," 22 Aug. 2019 That same year, Tencent’s president Martin Lau gave a little more insight into the breakdown between Weixin and WeChat, stating that the total overseas registered user accounts had reached 70 million (link in Chinese). — Echo Huang, Quartz, "Charted: WeChat’s astronomical growth abroad," 19 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.