/in"suyt'/ , 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. Psychol.
a. an understanding of relationships that sheds light on or helps solve a problem.
b. (in psychotherapy) the recognition of sources of emotional difficulty.
c. an understanding of the motivational forces behind one's actions, thoughts, or behavior; self-knowledge.
[ 1150-1200; ME; see IN- 1 , SIGHT ]
Syn. 2. perception, apprehension, intuition, understanding, grasp.