whistleblower

Sometimes whis·tle blow·er
Or whis·tle-blow·er

[wis-uhl-bloh-er, hwis-]

noun

1. a person who informs on another or makes public disclosure of corruption, wrongdoing, problems, or secret information, especially within an organization.

Other Word Forms

• whistleblowing noun
• whistle-blowing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of whistleblower¹

First recorded in 1965–70; whistle ( def. ) + blower ( def. )

Example Sentences

Over the next seven months, covert recording allowed the BBC to gather clear evidence corroborating what whistleblowers had described.

From BBC

SB 53 also strengthens whistleblower protections for employees who report violations.

From Los Angeles Times

There were multiple "unsafe" incidents because of staff failings, according to whistleblowers.

From BBC

The BBC is not printing specific details from the reports to protect the identity of the whistleblower.

From BBC

The Los Angeles Film School is at the center of a whistleblower lawsuit from two former executives who allege the institution unlawfully collected government funds in an elaborate accreditation scheme.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• informant 
• informer