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

She received an email last week informing her of a possible South East violation and another Monday regarding Marquez.

From Los Angeles Times

“That is what I gather. Please inform me of what is so urgent.”

From Literature

A grooming gangs expert, Prof Alexis Jay, has been overseeing a national review of the evidence in Scotland over the last few months to inform the government's thinking.

From BBC

Instead, it aims to be a company that encourages consumers’ self-expression, a goal that was informed by those Gen Z interviews, according to Silverstein.

From The Wall Street Journal

But though she wasn’t drawing specifically on any previous performance, she acknowledges that “Everything informs everything. All that you’ve done before informs where you are right now.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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