inform

verb

in·​form in-ˈfȯrm 

informed; informing; informs

transitive verb

1

: to communicate knowledge to

inform a prisoner of his rights

2

a

: to give character or essence to

the principles which inform modern teaching

b

: to be the characteristic quality of : animate

the compassion that informs her work

3

obsolete : to give material form to

4

obsolete : guide, direct

5

obsolete : to make known

intransitive verb

1

: to give information (as of another's wrongdoing) to an authority

informed on a member of his own gang

2

: to impart information or knowledge

Synonyms

• fink
• grass (on) [British slang]
• rat (on)
• sing
• snitch
• split (on) [British]
• squeak
• squeal
• talk
• tell (on)

Choose the Right Synonym for inform

inform, acquaint, apprise, notify mean to make one aware of something.

inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences.

informed us of the crisis

acquaint lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with.

acquaint yourself with the keyboard

apprise implies communicating something of special interest or importance.

keep us apprised of the situation

notify implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action.

notified the witness when to appear

Examples of inform in a Sentence

The book will entertain and inform you.

The arresting officer failed to inform the suspect of his rights.

He failed to inform the suspect that he had the right to remain silent.

We haven't yet been informed of her decision.

Frequent reports from the battlefield kept the general informed about how the attack was progressing.

The book will both entertain and inform.

His Catholic upbringing informs all his writing.

Recent Examples on the Web

The hut accommodates vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets–just be sure to inform the staff beforehand. —Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024

Ross’s decision to retire was well-documented but Klineman informed the AVP of her imminent departure from volleyball just five days ago. —Aaron Heisen, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024

Conclusion In 2024, the key to business agility is being able to quickly evaluate the full breadth of your data to inform strategy and improve outcomes across business units. —Naveen Singh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Our figure, which is above the leftmost bar in the chart above, is rounded down to the nearest 10,000th vote, and will be replaced by a projection informed by county estimates of remaining ballots when all counties report those figures. —Sahana Jayaraman, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enformer, from Latin informare, from in- + forma form

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Phrases Containing inform

• inform on/against

Kids Definition

inform

verb

in·​form in-ˈfȯ(ə)rm 

1

: to let a person know something : tell

2

: to give information so as to accuse or cause suspicion

inform against them to the police