Word

insider

noun C1

/ɪnˈsaɪdɚ/

Meanings

noun

A person who belongs to an organization or circle and has special access or inside knowledge.

noun

Information or a perspective that comes from within an organization or group and is not widely known.

Definition

An insider is someone with special access or detailed knowledge about an organization, group, or situation.

An insider is a person who is part of a group or institution and therefore knows how it works from within. Insiders often have access to information, networks, or decision-making that outsiders do not. The word can describe a person or, more generally, perspectives and information that come from inside a system.

Examples

As an insider at the company, she understood why the reorganization was moving faster than anyone expected.
He relied on an insider to navigate the committee’s unwritten rules and informal alliances.
They treated the journalist as an insider because he had worked in the ministry for years before switching careers.
I’m no insider, but I can see from the meeting dynamics that the decision has essentially been made.

Common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse insider with outsider and use it for someone who is not part of the group.