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inform1

[in-fawrm]
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verb (used with object)
  1. to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance to: He informed them of his arrival.
  2. to supply (oneself) with knowledge of a matter or subject: She informed herself of all the pertinent facts.
  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.
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Verb Phrases
  1. inform on, to furnish incriminating evidence about (someone) to an authority, prosecuting officer, etc.: He informed on his accomplices.
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Origin of inform1

1275–1325; Middle English informen < Latin infōrmāre to form, shape, equivalent to in- in-2 + fōrmāre to form; replacing Middle English enfourmen < Middle French enfourmer < Latin, as above
Related formsin·form·a·ble, adjectivein·form·ing·ly, adverbhalf-in·form·ing, adjectivehalf-in·form·ing·ly, adverbun·in·form·ing, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for inform on Thesaurus.com
1. apprise; notify, advise, tell. 2. acquaint.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for informing

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Robert shrank from informing him, but he knew it to be his duty, and he was too brave to put it off.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • Then she turned her attention to Eileen, and the shock she received was informing.

    Her Father's Daughter

    Gene Stratton-Porter

  • Let us ascertain, if we can, what it means, since they are so chary of informing us themselves.

  • I had every day news from Rebours, informing me how matters went.

    Memoirs of Marguerite de Valois, Complete

    Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre

  • The hour for informing her had arrived; he might stand in need of her advice.

British Dictionary definitions for informing

inform1

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. (tr) obsolete
    1. to train or educate
    2. to report
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Derived Formsinformable, adjectiveinformedly (ɪnˈfɔːmɪdlɪ), adverbinformingly, adverb

Word Origin

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

inform2

adjective
  1. archaic without shape; unformed
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Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for informing

inform

v.

early 14c., "to train or instruct in some specific subject," from Old French informer "instruct, inform, teach," and directly from Latin informare "to shape, form," figuratively "train, instruct, educate," from in- "into" (see in- (2)) + formare "to form, shape," from forma "form" (see form (n.)). Varied with enform until c.1600. Sense of "report facts or news" first recorded late 14c. Related: Informed; informing.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper