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
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.
“It was not that important,” she said of her 2004 trial for acting on insider information and lying to federal prosecutors.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026
Russini joined the Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where her roles included “SportsCenter” anchor and NFL analyst and insider.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Ingle also said that all federal employees are subject to government ethics guidelines that prohibit the use of insider information for financial gain.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Last quarter’s energy-sector insider sales reflected a mix of trades determined by prearranged trading plans, as well as ad hoc sales.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
By the measure of the rest of the country, she was an insiders insider.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
