inform

¹ American  

[in-fawrm] / ɪnˈfɔrm /

verb (used with object)

1. to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance to.

   He informed them of his arrival.

   Synonyms:

   tell, advise, notify, apprise

2. to supply (oneself) with knowledge of a matter or subject.

   She informed herself of all the pertinent facts.

   Synonyms:

   acquaint

3. to give evident substance, character, or distinction to; pervade or permeate with manifest effect.

   A love of nature informed his writing.

4. to animate or inspire.

5. Obsolete.

   1. to train or instruct.

   2. to make known; disclose.

   3. to give or impart form to.

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verb (used without object)

1. to give information; supply knowledge or enlightenment.

   a magazine that entertains more than it informs.

verb phrase

1. inform on to furnish incriminating evidence about (someone) to an authority, prosecuting officer, etc..

   He informed on his accomplices.

inform ² American  

[in-fawrm] / ɪnˈfɔrm /

adjective

Obsolete.

1. without form; formless.

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inform ¹ British  

/ ɪnˈfɔːm, ɪnˈfɔːmɪdlɪ /

verb

1. (tr; often foll by of or about) to give information to; tell

2. (tr; often foll by of or about) to make conversant (with)

3. (intr; often foll by against or on) to give information regarding criminals, as to the police, etc

4. to give form to

5. to impart some essential or formative characteristic to

6. (tr) to animate or inspire

7. obsolete (tr)

   1. to train or educate

   2. to report

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inform ² British  

/ ɪnˈfɔːm /

adjective

1. archaic without shape; unformed

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Other Word Forms

• half-informing adjective
• half-informingly adverb
• informable adjective
• informedly adverb
• informingly adverb
• uninforming adjective

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

Example Sentences

The lawsuit states that without accurate advertising customers are unable to make informed decisions on whether to purchase the chicken and compare pricing to Costco competitor’s products.

From Los Angeles Times

San José State responded with a statement acknowledging that the Education Department had informed the university of its investigation and findings.

From Los Angeles Times

All of them, we learn, are about the places and “Dreaming”—sacred laws and narratives—that informed earlier paintings.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Hall of Fame called Belichick last week to inform him of the result, according to ESPN, which reported that the current North Carolina head coach was “puzzled” and “disappointed” by the outcome.

From Los Angeles Times

When the potential outcome includes losing access to space for generations due to one extreme solar storm, informed decision making becomes critical.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• advise
• apprise
• brief
• caution
• educate
• instruct
• notify
• tell
• update
• warn