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

In a unanimous opinion issued Thursday, justices from the state’s first appellate district found that an oversight body in Sonoma County is legally authorized to subpoena the county sheriff’s office while probing whistleblower inquiries.

From Los Angeles Times

After his arrest, he told police he was a "whistleblower".

From BBC

Cipriani, a self-professed fixer, whistleblower and professional gambler who had been spreading innuendo about Shell on social media, according to court filings in a continuing legal dispute between the men.

From The Wall Street Journal

Zbur’s bill also would provide whistleblower protections to people who report on attorney misconduct and tighten the rules around client loans.

From Los Angeles Times

Social media giants made decisions which allowed more harmful content on people's feeds, after internal research into their algorithms showed how outrage fuelled engagement, whistleblowers told the BBC.

From BBC

Related Words

• informant
• informer