inform
verb · adjective
Simple meaning
Impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihnfawrmSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪnˈfɔɹm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to
“I informed him of his rights.”
intransitive
To impart information or knowledge.
Give character or essence to
“The principles that inform modern teaching.”
transitive
To give form or character to; to inspire (with a given quality); to affect, influence (with a pervading principle, idea etc.).
transitive
To communicate knowledge to.
formaltransitive
To direct, guide.
adjective
Without regular form; shapeless; ugly; deformed.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to
Used this way, inform is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“I informed him of his rights.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Impartverb
“I informed him of his rights.”
Giveverb
“The principles that inform modern teaching.”
More ways to use inform
- “She had informed on her own parents for years.”verb
- “I informed him of his rights.”verb
- “The principles that inform modern teaching.”verb
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.