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. )

Example Sentences

It was Dolan's first defeat in her nine-fight career and provided an insight into the work still required to reach the level of world champion.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

And the core insight — that viral footage of lawmakers enjoying themselves while their constituents suffer can generate real pressure on them to do the right thing — is sound.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

Led by geoscientist Michael Rawlins at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the research provides detailed insight into how warming temperatures are reshaping water systems and releasing long-frozen carbon.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

These simulations provided detailed insight into how different surface terminations influence both stability and electronic behavior.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

Reynie had a sudden insight: Rhonda was calling attention to herself on purpose.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Related Words

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