insider
Americannoun
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a person who is a member of a group, organization, society, etc.
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a person belonging to a limited circle of persons who understand the actual facts in a situation or share private knowledge.
Insiders knew that the president would veto the bill.
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a person who has some special advantage or influence.
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a person in possession of corporate information not generally available to the public, as a director, an accountant, or other officer or employee of a corporation.
noun
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a member of a specified group
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a person with access to exclusive information
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of insider
Explanation
An insider is someone, usually one of a small group, who has access to secret or private information. A political insider knows what really goes on behind the scenes in a campaign or a senator's office. In a large company, insiders are privy to financial information or details about the way things work — information that isn't available to an ordinary employee or the general public. In the financial world, an insider knows things about the businesses whose stock is being traded, and "insider trading" is when they illicitly use this information for personal gain.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A spokeswoman for Polymarket said the company monitors for potential insider trading and has made over 100 referrals to law enforcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Prediction markets have faced increasing scrutiny in the United States over insider trading allegations, and are banned in some other countries.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
A separate insider claimed Jolie had previously agreed that Pitt would have the first opportunity to purchase her stake before it was sold, but alleged she ultimately moved forward with the sale to Shefler regardless.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
Us Weekly also reported, citing an unnamed insider, that guests were told the theme was "whimsical".
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It was information only a highly placed insider could have acquired.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Shortly after he was appointed in January, his advisor and key backer Sergiy Sternenko was confident he could win over the military insiders to his new approach.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Alonso arrives with the loftier title of manager, which insiders say is not insignificant, though he will still have to work with the five-strong sporting director team on recruiting players.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Previously, a cadre of insiders picked the president; a low-profile staffer like Fain would have been unlikely to be considered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
“And insiders, who are trading in their own stock all the time, will have the information. This takes an already-unlevel playing field where Main Street investors are already disadvantaged, and makes it more unlevel.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The threat of being cut off, of being thrust out from the club of insiders, had always terrified Ellsberg.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
