A person who has access to confidential or privileged information within an organization or group.
Compound of 'inside' and '-er' (agent suffix), emerging in the 19th century as organizations became more complex and information asymmetries more significant. The concept reflects modern institutional structures.
The term 'insider' didn't exist before the 1800s because earlier societies were small enough that everyone knew everything about their community. The word's invention reflects the rise of large corporations and institutions where knowledge became compartmentalized and valuable.
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