insight

American  

[in-sahyt] / ˈɪnˌsaɪt /

noun

1. an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, especially through intuitive understanding.

   an insight into 18th-century life.

2. penetrating mental vision or discernment; faculty of seeing into inner character or underlying truth.

   Synonyms:

   grasp, understanding, intuition, apprehension, perception

3. Psychology.

   1. an understanding of relationships that sheds light on or helps solve a problem.

   2. (in psychotherapy) the recognition of sources of emotional difficulty.

   3. an understanding of the motivational forces behind one's actions, thoughts, or behavior; self-knowledge.

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insight British  

/ ˈɪnˌsaɪt /

noun

1. the ability to perceive clearly or deeply; penetration

2. a penetrating and often sudden understanding, as of a complex situation or problem

3. psychol

   1. the capacity for understanding one's own or another's mental processes

   2. the immediate understanding of the significance of an event or action

4. psychiatry the ability to understand one's own problems, sometimes used to distinguish between psychotic and neurotic disorders

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Other Word Forms

• insightful
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of insight

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; in- ¹ ( def. ) + sight ( def. )

Explanation

When you have an insight, you have a feeling or emotion or thought that helps you to know something essential about a person or thing. Insight isn't based on hard facts or evidence. And it doesn't have anything to do with using your senses such as sight or smell. When you gain insight, you are using your intuition, or sixth sense. Insight is formed from the prefix in- plus the English word sight, so this word literally means seeing inward.

Example Sentences

Lyle Ungar, Professor in CIS and a co-author of the study, says social media can offer insight into concerns patients may not always bring up during medical visits.

From Science Daily • May 24, 2026

"I thank Football Focus for that insight and it was a groundbreaking programme."

From BBC • May 24, 2026

But with the chemical crisis in its third day, new details are offering more insight into how it could be resolved, though no one is sure when.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

Find insight on Lightspeed Commerce, artificial intelligence, Intuit and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

As human beings, we are capable of extraordinary leaps of insight and instinct.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• acumen
• intuition
• judgment
• observation
• understanding
• vision
• wisdom