inform
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
-
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.
-
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)
-
(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
-
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
-
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
-
has been informingperfect progressive
Past
-
informedsimple
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had informedperfect
-
was informingprogressive
-
were informingprogressive
-
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:
The findings could eventually inform research into political communication, mental health messaging, and AI systems designed to interact with people.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
The chef’s influence will extend beyond the communal dining areas and into the residences themselves, with his vision helping inform the design of the in-home kitchens.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
It was “a good balance to inform defenders,” Dusch said, “and not give attackers too much time to develop exploits.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Looking beyond November, what Americans can hope for is a cycle in which clear election outcomes provide an opportunity to inform voters of how and why the system works.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
I tried to remember every detail, to unburden and inform at the same time, not envying Miig's role any longer.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
An AI bot that goes on its merry way and informs the user what it’s been up to only when it chooses to?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
A full diagnostic panel informs every guest’s customized itinerary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
"We will ensure the learning from the coroner's findings informs our continuing work to strengthen patient safety and care," says Dr Bridle.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Trauma is not the only teacher who informs us that our bodily cues are inconvenient, untrustworthy, or dangerous.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Human love is forever,” the vuvv informs us.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, was informed by Lancashire last Monday that he will not be offered a new contract by the county he first represented in 2001.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
A U.S. official said Friday that suspected Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. personnel informed the decision to order embassy staff from their posts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
A Canadian resident informed investigators that he purchased 25 unreleased Eminem songs from Strange for about $50,000 in Bitcoin and that he raised the funds through the support of a group of Eminem fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Shop staff involved in the programme will be given trauma informed training and will offer survivors free personal shopper sessions to choose clothes they feel comfortable in.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
He informed us that we would be known as the Class of 1962 of the Santa Maria High School Saints.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
"I am grateful to them for informing me," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
The targets are groups that send mailers to public employees informing them of their rights, under the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The findings suggest that studying the genetics of personality could have implications well beyond psychology, potentially informing research in medicine, health, education and the workplace.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Instead, we cut to rehearsals for the comeback tour, with a caption informing us the brothers "didn't speak for 15 years", and an implication that all the wounds have been miraculously healed.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Someone told camp authorities what the boys were doing— probably a prisoner who got extra bread for informing on them.
From "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps" by Andrea Warren
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
