whistleblower

American  

[wis-uhl-bloh-er, hwis-] / ˈwɪs əlˌbloʊ ər, ˈʰwɪs- /

Sometimes whistle blower or whistle-blower

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• whistle-blowing noun
• whistleblowing noun

Etymology

Origin of whistleblower

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

Example Sentences

Jessica Hahn interviewed a whistleblower who pointed to a potentially massive breach of the Social Security Administration’s personal data.

From MarketWatch

He also writes about the people involved in this work, from political appointees to career prosecutors and corporate whistleblowers.

From The Wall Street Journal

A social media account claiming to be run by a whistleblower at the CCA said staff were told of issues with payments, unexplained expenses and financial irregularities.

From BBC

"He was very keen not to come across as a whistleblower, or an activist photographer," he added.

From Barron's

She has deep experience handling confidential documents and working with whistleblowers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• informant
• informer