inform

[ in-fawrm ]

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.

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 for inform

1	apprise; notify, advise, tell
2	acquaint

See synonyms for inform on Thesaurus.com

Other words from inform

in·form·a·ble, adjective
in·form·ing·ly, adverb
half-in·form·ing, adjective
half-in·form·ing·ly, adverb
un·in·form·ing, adjective

Other definitions for inform (2 of 2)

inform²

[ in-fawrm ]

adjectiveObsolete.

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

The only characters who have not been kaleidoscoped out in this way, she informs us, are Sarah and David, who were always too self-absorbed to care about anyone else.
The mind-boggling end of Susan Choi’s Trust Exercise, explained | Constance Grady | November 20, 2020 | Vox
In a late Thursday night statement, chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said Lithuania’s embassy informed the agency that Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis had tested positive for Covid-19.
The acting Pentagon chief was exposed to the coronavirus. He’s not quarantining. | Alex Ward | November 20, 2020 | Vox
CRISPR, an acronym for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats,” was not, Davies informs us, the first genome-editing tool.
With CRISPR, humans can create their own evolutionary future | Adrian Woolfson | November 20, 2020 | Washington Post
Race organizers sent an email late Wednesday night to registered runners, informing them of new travel restrictions.
As the coronavirus tears through rural Maryland, an ultramarathon plans to race on | Rick Maese | November 19, 2020 | Washington Post
Excited, Einstein wrote a letter to Mach informing him of his progress and the publication of his newest paper.
When Einstein Tilted at Windmills - Issue 93: Forerunners | Amanda Gefter | November 18, 2020 | Nautilus

Following the Apatow references, Marge informs Homer that she needs to use the “Porta Potty.”
Here’s the Lost Judd Apatow ‘Simpsons’ Episode, Penned by Judd Apatow | Asawin Suebsaeng | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
David has a Southern drawl and charm that informs his character.
Dan Stevens Blows Up ‘Downton’: From Chubby-Cheeked Aristo to Lean, Mean American Psycho | Tim Teeman | September 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Sanford informs that he plans to get a lawyer, whom he will “instruct… not to fight back.”
Mark Sanford’s Epic Facebook Overshare | Olivia Nuzzi | September 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
At which point Bassam informs Jamal the rebel leader is willing to (you guessed it) talk.
Generic and Superficial ‘Tyrant’ Amerisplains the Middle East | Andrew Romano | June 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It informs and will inspire some to become more engaged in a hands-on way.
Go Away, Coulter and Limbaugh; Hashtagging Is Better Than Snarking | Dean Obeidallah | May 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Her inscription informs the reader that "she was a virgin of virtuous courage and very promising hopes."
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
Captain King informs me, that the colour of the tongue and inside of the mouth was yellow.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King
She spins the card; the dial indicates, as she informs me, with unnecessary glee, "You spend your time in trifles."
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 93, September 24, 1887 | Various
This telegram is from Washington, and informs me that the Mexicans have just turned loose at Holmesville.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants | H. Irving Hancock
Mr. Redlich informs me, Mr. Chairman, that the document has already been admitted in evidence.
Warren Commission (3 of 26): Hearings Vol. III (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

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

Origin of inform

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

Derived forms of inform

informable, adjective
informedly (ɪnˈfɔːmɪdlɪ), adverb
informingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for inform (2 of 2)

inform²

/ (ɪnˈfɔːm) /

adjective

archaic without shape; unformed

Origin of 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

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