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.
-
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.
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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.
-
verb (used without object)
-
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)
-
(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
-
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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half-informingadjective
-
informableadjective
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uninformingadjective
-
half-informinglyadverb
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informedlyadverb
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informinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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informsimple
-
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
-
is informingprogressive
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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
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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 chef’s influence will extend beyond the communal dining areas and into the residences themselves, with his vision helping inform the design of the in-home kitchens.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
Ten days later, the Netflix executive emailed Afram’s team to inform them that the drive containing “Fortitude” had been stolen, according to the producer’s suit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Looking beyond November, what Americans can hope for is a cycle in which clear election outcomes provide an opportunity to inform voters of how and why the system works.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Such insights could ultimately inform studies of potential clinical applications.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
It fell to Gerald Ford to inform the American people that the country had just lost its first war.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
This is all about opinions and eras, but his record and longevity alone informs you that he is an England great.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The book details Mr. Johnson’s belief in a Christian view of love and service, which informs his understanding of how to treat customers and co-workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
An advanced healthcare directive, something else worth considering, informs your doctors what action you want them to take if or when you are unable to make decisions yourself.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Elise informs Gemma that she has a special gift for making contact with those in the Further — and, even rarer, the ability to bring those spirits back into our world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
“She has poison ivy all over her arms and legs,” my mother informs me, holding open the back door.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
"We continue to support him as he undergoes further treatment in hospital and keeping him and his family fully informed of the developments in this investigation."
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Conceiving his adaptation as a childlike sci-fi fairy tale, Waititi draws from his cheerful 2016 adolescent adventure “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and the mixture of pathos and irony that informed “Jojo Rabbit.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
The company informed staff of the cuts on Tuesday, according to a statement from the spokesperson.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Short, incendiary snippets of interviews and livestreams don’t give audiences a chance to dig into arguments and develop informed opinions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
He informed us that we would be known as the Class of 1962 of the Santa Maria High School Saints.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Earlier this year, Walmart started quickly informing suppliers when and how their packaging presents problems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
"I am grateful to them for informing me," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
The findings suggest that studying the genetics of personality could have implications well beyond psychology, potentially informing research in medicine, health, education and the workplace.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sent a text message to Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night informing him that he wasn’t going to be in the lineup Thursday in the series finale against the Cardinals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
It was a court order addressed to Jack So-and-so, informing him that if he didn’t pay his back alimony he would be in contempt and punishable.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
