Added 8 October 2026
insight
/ˈɪnsaɪ̯t/ noun
In Latin: perspicientia Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about insight at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Clear or deep perception of a situation.
- A feeling of understanding.
- The clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation.
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)