inform
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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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uninformingadjective
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informinglyadverb
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informableadjective
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half-informinglyadverb
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informedlyadverb
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half-informingadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have informedperfect
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has informedperfect 3rd person singular
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is informingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been informingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been informingperfect progressive
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am informingprogressive 1st person singular
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are informingprogressive
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informingparticiple
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informssingular 3rd person
Past
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had informedperfect
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were informingprogressive plural
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had been informingperfect progressive
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was informingprogressive singular
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informedsimple
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informedparticiple
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.
These questions inform the emergence of space-time itself and radical new proposals that treat it as the universe’s memory.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
"With increasing numbers of women taking part in sport across the UK, there is an urgent need for research focused specifically on women to help inform future policies, safety guidance and sporting protocols," he said.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Private-equity firms have built AI analysts that synthesize research and inform investment decisions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Then you can inform your daughter so she’s prepared for the responsibility should you become incapacitated or die.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
“This is Barbara Gay Powers, the wife of Francis Gary Powers. And I just wanted to inform you that I am flying to Athens, Greece, tomorrow morning to be with my husband.”
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
