inform
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
to give evident substance, character, or distinction to; pervade or permeate with manifest effect.
A love of nature informed his writing.
-
to animate or inspire.
-
Obsolete.
-
to train or instruct.
-
to make known; disclose.
-
to give or impart form to.
-
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
adjective
verb
-
(tr; often foll by of or about) to give information to; tell
-
(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
-
to give form to
-
to impart some essential or formative characteristic to
-
(tr) to animate or inspire
-
obsolete (tr)
-
to train or educate
-
to report
-
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
half-informingadjective
-
informableadjective
-
uninformingadjective
-
half-informinglyadverb
-
informedlyadverb
-
informinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
informsimple
-
informssimple
-
have informedperfect
-
has informedperfect
-
am informingprogressive
-
are informingprogressive
-
is informingprogressive
-
have been informingperfect progressive
-
has been informingperfect progressive
Past
-
informedsimple
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Shape Up: Form
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Assisted by AI, they could access the latest research to support accurate diagnosis and identify options that inform an in-depth conversation as they decide on the best treatment.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026
Knowledge of Jolie’s circumstance will inform a viewer’s reaction to her wounded, resilient performance, but our inherent sympathies can only take French writer-director Alice Winocour’s ensemble piece so far.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
On Friday, Iran reiterated that all vessels had to inform Tehran before crossing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
“What we do is inform the public, and we let people make the choice.”
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
Jefferson regretted to inform Adams that the story was untrue; he had not compiled a collection of the libels against himself.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
