insight

UK: /ˈɪnsaɪt/ US: /ˈɪnˌsaɪt/ ,(in′sīt′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•sight /ˈɪnˌsaɪt/   n. 

1. an act or instance of perceiving the true nature of a thing, esp. through intuitive understanding:
   [uncountable] The seminar provided insight into how computer programs could work for students.
   [countable] gave us valuable insights.

in•sight•ful, adj.: 

an insightful article on marriage.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•sight  (in′sīt′), n. 

1. an instance of apprehending the true nature of a thing, esp. through intuitive understanding:
   an insight into 18th-century life.
2. penetrating mental vision or discernment;
   faculty of seeing into inner character or underlying truth.
3. Psychology
   • an understanding of relationships that sheds light on or helps solve a problem.
   • (in psychotherapy) the recognition of sources of emotional difficulty.
   • an understanding of the motivational forces behind one's actions, thoughts, or behavior;
     self-knowledge.

• 1150–1200; Middle English; see in-¹, sight

Synonyms

• 2. perception, apprehension, intuition, understanding, grasp.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

insight / 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. the capacity for understanding one's own or another's mental processes
4. the ability to understand one's own problems, sometimes used to distinguish between psychotic and neurotic disorders

inˈsightful adjective