inform
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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informs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
informed,
past participle, past
-
informing
present participle
-
to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance to.
He informed them of his arrival.
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to supply (oneself) with knowledge of a matter or subject.
She informed herself of all the pertinent facts.
- Synonyms:
- acquaint
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to give evident substance, character, or distinction to; pervade or permeate with manifest effect.
A love of nature informed his writing.
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to animate or inspire.
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Obsolete.
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to train or instruct.
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to make known; disclose.
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to give or impart form to.
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verb (used without object)
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informs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
informed,
past participle, past
-
informing
present participle
verb phrase
adjective
verb
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(tr; often foll by of or about) to give information to; tell
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(tr; often foll by of or about) to make conversant (with)
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(intr; often foll by against or on) to give information regarding criminals, as to the police, etc
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to give form to
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to impart some essential or formative characteristic to
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(tr) to animate or inspire
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obsolete (tr)
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to train or educate
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to report
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adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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half-informingadjective
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informableadjective
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uninformingadjective
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half-informinglyadverb
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informedlyadverb
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informinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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informsimple
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informssimple
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have informedperfect
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has informedperfect
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am informingprogressive
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are informingprogressive
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is informingprogressive
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have been informingperfect progressive
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has been informingperfect progressive
Past
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informedsimple
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had informedperfect
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was informingprogressive
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were informingprogressive
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had been informingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inform1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enfo(u)rmen, informen, from Old French enfo(u)rmer, from Latin infōrmāre “to form, shape,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + fōrmāre “to form ”
Origin of inform2
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin informis “formless, deformed,” equivalent to in- in- 3 + -formis -form
Explanation
To inform is to tell someone news, pass on wisdom, leak gossip, or give instruction. You've been informed that you won the raffle at the county fair. What are you going to do with all that cheese? The Latin verb infōrmāre means "to form or shape." The idea of passing on knowledge came about in the 14th Century, with the meaning of "teaching or instructing" coming later. Thomas Jefferson, who believed democracy to be impossible without informed citizens, said, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”
Vocabulary lists containing inform
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Shape Up: Form
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Online resources like the American Automobile Assn.’s fuel prices page, which shows national averages as well as gas prices by county, can inform drivers of the standard going rate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Text that aims to inform the public on general interest issues will also have to be labelled if they are created using AI without human editorial oversight.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
While LGBTQ+ voices were far from silent, especially in a city like New York, the idea that their perspectives could inform broader conversations was not as widespread as it has become.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
They think this will inform a cautious approach to fiscal 2027 guidance, although they are hopeful that the Australian biopharma will have some new contract wins to report at next month’s annual result announcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Well, let me inform you of something. Willa was with them the day she disappeared.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
This observation informs her compelling geopolitical picaresque through a collection of disputed and disordered territories across Europe and Asia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Even when there is an accident or mechanical fault, the water guard quickly informs the control room and a rescue boat is deployed in record time," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Proudly, he informs the class that the protest that Didion derides led to the establishment of the first ethnic studies department in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
An advance healthcare directive informs your doctors about what actions you want them to take if you are no longer able to make those decisions.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
“He informs me that Umber will not fight Umber, for any cause.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
They told her to take down the post and asked her to sign a letter acknowledging she had been informed that she “may” have violated federal law with her social-media account.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Not possible, she said an administrator informed her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Australian experts agree the key lesson of the "Black Summer" is to be honest and keep people informed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Players were informed Monday and were told they should look for another program if they wanted to play immediately.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
That was not going to happen, Loeb informed Goodale.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The media cited Australian foreign ministry letters sent to the families of the two citizens killed, informing them that Laos would charge the operator of the Tiger brand of alcohol with operating illegally.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Five hours before kickoff, after spending the morning celebrating with fellow fans before attending the team parade, Wright received an email from StubHub informing him that his tickets couldn’t be transferred.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Clarkson warned of the somber mood of the two episodes on Instagram, informing fans in a video post that they would be anything but “bucolic and charming, and cheerful.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Shortly afterwards, he received a call informing him they had already been scattered in the Garden of Remembrance "because they believed that was the instruction from the funeral director".
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
“And, if I may, I do not appreciate you going through my books without informing me.”
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
