insight

noun

in·sight | \ ˈin-ˌsīt

Definition of insight

1 : the power or act of seeing into a situation : penetration

2 : the act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about insight

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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

Here, Arnault provides insight into his vision for the future, the upswings and challenges of modernizing what is—for most intents and purposes—a legacy brand, and an out of this world (but not impossible) pipedream. — Nick Remsen, Vogue, "Overhauling Heritage (With an Edge of Clever Hype): A Conversation with Rimowa CEO Alexandre Arnault," 27 Feb. 2019 Mechanical insight: Four things determine the work that these tools do. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "Cordless Drill/Driver vs Impact Driver: Which Do You Need?," 24 Jan. 2019 The resulting insights, along with some advanced math, allowed researchers in Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's VUSec group to demonstrate that one of the key defenses against Rowhammer isn't sufficient. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Potentially disastrous Rowhammer bitflips can bypass ECC protections," 22 Nov. 2018 According to Garner, the book is full of great recipes, insights, life lessons, and even some useful beauty and hair tips. — Lily Rose, Glamour, "Jennifer Garner Took Reese Witherspoon's Advice and Wore Hot Rollers in Public," 19 Sep. 2018 But a new study says that all of this variation in female nipples might actually provide insight into human evolution. — Sarah Klein, Health.com, "Scientists Went Around Measuring a Bunch of Nipples—and Found Something Surprising," 27 June 2018 Learning how it was formed could provide insight into the history of the Red Planet. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Opportunity rover threatened by giant storm on Mars," 13 June 2018 Larry Stone calls upon more than 30 years as a sportswriter to offer insight, wisdom, opinion, analysis - and hopefully some humor - regarding the wide world of sports. — Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, "‘I’m in a way better spot’: Back with Mariners on minor-league deal, Dustin Ackley is hopeful, and realistic," 20 Feb. 2019 The analysis of Ötzi’s final meal lends important insight into eating and food preparation habits during the Copper Age. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Before He Died, Ötzi the Iceman Ate a Greasy, Fatty Meal," 13 July 2018

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.

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Last Updated

17 Apr 2019

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The first known use of insight was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for insight

insight

noun

English Language Learners Definition of insight

: the ability to understand people and situations in a very clear way

: an understanding of the true nature of something

See the full definition for insight in the English Language Learners Dictionary

insight

noun

in·sight | \ ˈin-ˌsīt

Kids Definition of insight

1 : the ability to understand a person or a situation very clearly

2 : the understanding of the truth of a situation

insight

noun

in·sight | \ ˈin-ˌsīt

Medical Definition of insight

1 : understanding or awareness of one's mental or emotional state or condition

2 : immediate and clear understanding (as seeing the solution to a problem or the means to reaching a goal) that takes place without recourse to overt trial-and-error behavior