Meaning of inform in English

inform

verb [ T ]

/ɪnˈfɔːrm/ uk

/ɪnˈfɔːm/

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to tell someone about particular facts:

The name of the dead man will not be released until his relatives have been informed.

be informed about Why wasn't I informed about this earlier?

be informed of Walters was not properly informed of the reasons for her arrest.

[ + that ] I informed my boss that I was going to be away next week.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to tell someone something

tellMy friend told me you were looking for me.
let someone knowLet me know if you'd like to come.
giveCan you give the message to Jo?
communicateA 60-second TV commercial isn't always the best way to communicate a complex medical message.
informThe relatives of the injured have been informed of the accident.
notifyThe school has to notify parents if their children do not arrive at school.

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More examplesFewer examples

We'll inform you when a decision has been reached.
It is with great sorrow that I inform you of the death of our director.
We received your communication of 11 March and are sorry to inform you that we won't be attending the conference.
We cannot release the names of the soldiers who were killed until we have informed their next of kin.
Companies publish annual reports to inform the public about the previous year's activities.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Announcing, informing & stating

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Phrasal verb

inform against/on someone

(Definition of inform from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

inform | Intermediate English

inform

verb [ T ]

/ɪnˈfɔrm/

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to tell someone about something:

Keep me informed about any job opportunities.

She informed her tenants that she was raising the rent.

(Definition of inform from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

inform | Business English

inform

verb

/ɪnˈfɔːm/ us

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[ T ]

to tell someone about something, especially officially:

She suspected illegality, and informed the police.

inform sb about sth The industry had a duty to inform the public about the extent of the dangers.

inform sb of sth When the company was informed of the problems we were experiencing, it took extraordinary steps to help us.

inform sb that He informed me that he intended to resign.

keep sb informed Keep the project manager informed about any issue that might have an impact on a project's bottom line.

[ T ]

to influence something such as an opinion or decision:

inform sb's choices/behaviour/decisions There are many factors that inform consumer choices.

The habits of individual employees are informed by the corporate culture in which they participate.

[ I or T ]

to give information or to teach someone about something:

The news media has an enormous capacity to inform and educate.

inform sb about sth There are many innovative ways to inform kids about the world they live in.

(Definition of inform from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of inform

inform

Your opinion is more informed because it sounds like you watch the show.

From Variety

It's really a love letter to my friends and definitely informed by what's happening on a larger scale.

From Los Angeles Times

People need to inform themselves on the topics through unbiased means.

From Washington Post

It's the smart, informed fear of the known.

From Huffington Post

It's designed to inform its citizens on a number of levels.

From Huffington Post

I am informed that you are three months back on your rent.

From Huffington Post

The result is passionate, informed, gripping and at times wonderfully lyrical.

From NPR

Any logical person, if informed of the risks, would have declined the drug, the witness said.

From Los Angeles Times

In countries where traditional media is being obstructed and manipulated, social media is the last resort to stay informed.

From TechCrunch

So, if you guessed either of these two you'd be informed -- but you'd be wrong.

From Huffington Post

She was then informed there was a seven-word minimum.

From International Business Times

I just wanted to get back to being better informed.

From The New Yorker

We won't be able to do that with this project, because it's too big, but still, the maps should absolutely inform each other.

From The Atlantic

To inform the public, their website offers cutting-edge technical publications about these issues.

From Ars Technica

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of inform?