inform

[ in-fawrm ]

/ ɪnˈfɔrm /

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See synonyms for: inform / informed / informing / informs on Thesaurus.com

verb (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.

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)

to give information; supply knowledge or enlightenment: a magazine that entertains more than it informs.

Verb Phrases

inform on, to furnish incriminating evidence about (someone) to an authority, prosecuting officer, etc.: He informed on his accomplices.

OTHER WORDS FOR inform

1 apprise; notify, advise, tell.

2 acquaint.

See synonyms for inform on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of inform

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 ”

OTHER WORDS FROM inform

in·form·a·ble, adjectivein·form·ing·ly, adverbhalf-in·form·ing, adjectivehalf-in·form·ing·ly, adverb

un·in·form·ing, adjective

Other definitions for inform (2 of 2)

inform²

[ in-fawrm ]

/ ɪnˈfɔrm /

adjective Obsolete.

without form; formless.

Origin of inform

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin informis “formless, deformed,” equivalent to in- in-³ + -formis -form

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use inform in a sentence

Gallery Media is part publisher and part agency and it uses the expertise in building viral media presences to inform its brand clients on how they should use the social media platform.
‘Launching content on behalf of clients:’ How Gallery Media turned TikTok into a 7-figure business|Kayleigh Barber|November 12, 2020|Digiday
If they then click into that chat, they’ll see a message that informs them the other user had left.
Bumble’s new feature prevents bad actors from using ‘unmatch’ to hide from their victims|Sarah Perez|November 9, 2020|TechCrunch
On Thursday, District of Columbia Circuit Judge James Boasberg rejected that contention, noting that borrowers had been informed via the loan application that such data could be revealed as a result of a FOIA lawsuit.
Judge Orders the Release of Data on Emergency Loans for Small Businesses|by Lydia DePillis|November 6, 2020|ProPublica
For sure, you can have a bad experience anywhere, and plenty of people review the parks to inform others about how the shuttle system works, or if it’s hard to find a parking spot, or something like that, and all those things can be useful.
The Life-Changing Magic of Ignoring the Ratings|Brendan Leonard|November 5, 2020|Outside Online

They are helping people register and informing people about voting news while protesting, suing state officials, and fighting for the end of voter suppression.
Voter Suppression: An Ongoing Battle in 2020|Truthbetold|November 4, 2020|TruthBeTold.news

British Dictionary definitions for inform (1 of 2)

inform¹

/ (ɪnˈfɔːm) /

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

(tr) obsolete

to train or educate
to report

Derived forms of inform

informable, adjectiveinformedly (ɪnˈfɔːmɪdlɪ), adverbinformingly, adverb

Word Origin for inform

C14: from Latin informāre to give form to, describe, from formāre to form

British Dictionary definitions for inform (2 of 2)

inform²

/ (ɪnˈfɔːm) /

adjective

archaic without shape; unformed

Word Origin for inform

C16: from Latin informis from in- 1 + forma shape

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

inform

OTHER WORDS FOR inform

Origin of inform

OTHER WORDS FROM inform

Other definitions for inform (2 of 2)

Origin of inform

Words related to inform

How to use inform in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inform (1 of 2)

Derived forms of inform

Word Origin for inform

British Dictionary definitions for inform (2 of 2)

Word Origin for inform