insight
nounUK /ˈɪnsaɪ̯t/ · CA, US /ˈɪnsaɪ̯t/
Etymology From Middle English insight, insiht (“insight, mental vision, intelligence, understanding”), equivalent to in- + sight. Perhaps continuing Old English insiht (“narrative, argument, account”), from Proto-Germanic *insahtiz (“account, narrative, argument”). Compare West Frisian ynsjoch (“insight”), Dutch inzicht (“insight, awareness, view, opinion”), German Low German Insicht (“insight”), German Einsicht (“insight, knowledge, perception, understanding”), Danish indsigt (“insight”), Swedish insikt (“insight”), Icelandic innsýn (“insight”).
A sight or view of the interior of anything; a deep inspection or view; introspection; frequently used with into.
- The history of our study of our solar system shows us clearly that accepted and conventional ideas are often wrong, and that fundamental insights can arise from the most unexpected sources.1980, Carl Sagan, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage:
- This paper surveys the research methods and approaches used in the multidisciplinary field of applied language studies or language education over the last fourty^([sic]) years. Drawing on insights gained in psycho- and sociolinguistics, educational linguistics and linguistic anthropology with regard to language and culture, it is organized around five major questions that concern language educators.2014 January 23, Claire Kramsch, “Language and Culture”, in AILA Review, volume 27, number 5, John Benjamins, →DOI, →ISSN, page 30:
Power of acute observation and deduction.
- Corbett has an interesting insight into the reactions of his colleagues from diverse backgrounds: "The ex-British Rail people responded much better than those from the private sector. In terms of helping, the private sector people headed for the hills, while the railway people, like Chris Leah [the operations director] and Dick Fearn [the Midlands Zone director] moved towards the gunfire. The non-railway people on the whole didn't."2026 March 4, Christian Wolmar, “Railtrack: what really happened”, in RAIL, number 1056, page 52:
Intuitive apprehension of the inner nature of a thing or things; intuition.
An extended understanding of a subject resulting from identification of relationships and behaviors within a model, context, or scenario.
Artificial intelligence
Human sciences, Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology, Sciences An individual's awareness of the nature and severity of one's mental illness.
- Derived terms
- inflicted insight, insighted, insightful, insightless
- Related terms
- outsight