whistleblower

noun

whis·​tle·​blow·​er ˈ(h)wi-səl-ˌblō-ər 

variants or whistle-blower

plural whistleblowers or whistle-blowers

: one who reveals something covert or who informs against another

especially : an employee who brings wrongdoing by an employer or by other employees to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency

Note: A whistleblower is commonly protected legally from retaliation.

I think whistleblowers play a hugely important role in countering the worst corporate and government excesses.

—Damon Poeter

… pledges to protect whistle-blowers who fear reprisals for their efforts.

—Wall Street Journal

Congress also added significant new protection for whistleblowers. The 1986 act provides remedies including reinstatement, back-pay with interest, and, as appropriate, punitive damages for whistleblowers who are discharged, demoted, or discriminated against due to involvement with a False Claims disclosure.

—Bradford A. Penney

whistleblowing

ˈ(h)wi-səl-ˌblō-iŋ 

adjective

or whistle-blowing

a whistleblowing report

Many states have already enacted laws that protect whistle-blowing employees from retaliation.

—Greg Critser

whistleblowing noun

or whistle-blowing

… a National Security Agency agent who got in trouble for whistle-blowing.

—Renée Camus

Synonyms

• betrayer
• canary [slang]
• deep throat
• fink
• informant
• informer
• nark [British]
• rat
• rat fink
• snitch
• snitcher
• squealer
• stool pigeon
• stoolie
• talebearer
• tattler
• tattletale
• telltale

Examples of whistleblower in a Sentence

There are laws to protect whistleblowers who reveal corporate malfeasance.

Recent Examples on the Web

The whistleblower, whose identity is being withheld by Senate Democrats for fear of retaliation, worked with the FBI's Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, which leads the government's missions to rescue hostages overseas. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2025

In 2019, then-National Security Council staffer Alexander Vindman testified as a whistleblower about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which served as the basis for Trump’s first impeachment. —Brett Samuels, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2025

Even if the system works as intended, whistleblowers will need extraordinary courage to come forward. —Billy Perrigo, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025

Spire rate increase case continues While the investigation into the whistleblower allegations is closed, Spire’s rate case requesting an increase in residential natural gas rates is ongoing. —Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

whistleblower

noun

whis·​tle·​blow·​er

ˈhwi-səl-ˌblō-ər

: an employee who brings wrongdoing by an employer or other employees to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency and who is commonly vested by statute with rights and remedies for retaliation compare qui tam action

whistleblowing

-iŋ

noun