insight

American  

[in-sahyt] / ˈɪnˌsaɪt /

noun

• insights
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• insightful
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• insights
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of insight

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

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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

See Examples For:

insight insights

The Pac-Man enzyme illustrates how bacteria can exploit these molecular weak points, offering new insight into the relationship between plastic pollution, microbial adaptation, and the future of biodegradable materials.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Traders are now awaiting comments at the International Monetary Fund's gathering in Bangkok, with hopes that he will give some insight into policymakers' thinking following this week's inflation-busting consumer inflation data.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

“The Storytellers” considers these writers and others of the 19th century with large helpings of narrative summary but always with insight and intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

In “Lorne,” the show’s chief provides some insight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

I can’t force you to go there, but if you’d like a little more insight, just head for the stars.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Duwai's vision for a plentiful marine habitat that would sustain his village of 147 people has now received global praise, with academics and charities seeking his insights.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Purchasing managers’ indexes for the U.S. and Europe will offer insights into business sentiment and a further clue on the likely timing and pace of future interest-rate rises.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Warsh has vowed to cut down on providing insights into Fed policy positions, and on Friday again refrained from sharing his view of what may transpire at the October gathering.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

"He's reading Gromit's story as Gromit put it; his inner thoughts, his candid insights and endless witticisms bringing to them his usual colour, thoughtfulness and wry humour."

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Farmer seemed to know everything about a country that baffled me on many levels, and his insights helped me with the article I was writing.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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Related Words

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

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