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.
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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)
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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)
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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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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
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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
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has been informingperfect progressive
Past
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informedsimple
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had informedperfect
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was informingprogressive
-
were informingprogressive
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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 company fails to clearly inform users when their prescriptions will be refilled each month, making it tough to cancel before the next billing cycle, and hides an online cancellation button, according to the FTC.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Prof Ian Maidment, professor of clinical pharmacy at Aston University, said: "It is an interesting idea, it helps inform debate, but in my opinion we need more evidence."
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Text that aims to inform the public on general interest issues will also have to be labelled if they are created using AI without human editorial oversight.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
While LGBTQ+ voices were far from silent, especially in a city like New York, the idea that their perspectives could inform broader conversations was not as widespread as it has become.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
However, we are sorry to inform you that due to funding restrictions, we are unable to continue your financial aid for the 1981—1982 academic year.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, the GP explained while the tests cannot offer "an absolute diagnosis", they could provide an indication that informs next steps.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Similar thinking informs today’s politicians and policymakers who want to expand the welfare state to address economic inequality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Soft Palms are angry, and that informs the spirit of “In Echo.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
An advance healthcare directive informs your doctors about what actions you want them to take if you are no longer able to make those decisions.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
‘You will not disappoint Gens Veturia,” he informs me.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
A statement from Buckingham Palace read: "Their Majesties The King and Queen and other members of The Royal Family were delighted to be informed of the news."
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“We went off of a lot of super grainy images of a lot of people; that informed what everybody wore,” Mance says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Not possible, she said an administrator informed her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Australian experts agree the key lesson of the "Black Summer" is to be honest and keep people informed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
“It’s your responsibility as citizens to be informed about what’s happening in politics,” she said often.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
The media cited Australian foreign ministry letters sent to the families of the two citizens killed, informing them that Laos would charge the operator of the Tiger brand of alcohol with operating illegally.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
USC spokesperson Megan Jordan said in a statement the university has been informing students of the new loan limits and provided a list of “preferred” private lenders they can use.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Nearly three years later Mahrang's family received a phone call informing them that his body had been found in Lasbela district, in the south of the province.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Five hours before kickoff, after spending the morning celebrating with fellow fans before attending the team parade, Wright received an email from StubHub informing him that his tickets couldn’t be transferred.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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.
