What does inform mean?

Definitions for inform
ɪnˈfɔrmin·form

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word inform.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. informverb

    impart knowledge of some fact, state or affairs, or event to

    "I informed him of his rights"

  2. informverb

    give character or essence to

    "The principles that inform modern teaching"

  3. informverb

    act as an informer

    "She had informed on her own parents for years"

Wiktionary

  1. informverb

    To instruct, train (usually in matters of knowledge)

  2. informverb

    To communicate knowledge to (an)other(s).

  3. informverb

    To impart information or knowledge.

  4. informverb

    To act as an informer; denounce.

  5. informverb

    To give form or character to; to inspire (with a given quality); to affect, influence (with a pervading principle, idea etc.).

    His sense of religion informs everything he writes.

  6. informverb

    To make known, wisely and/or knowledgeably.

  7. informverb

    To direct, guide.

  8. Etymology: From informen, enformen, from enformer, informer, from informare, from in- + forma, equivalent to.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To INFORMverb

    Etymology: informer, Fr. informo, Latin.

    All alike inform'd
    With radiant light, as glowing ir'n with fire. John Milton.

    Let others better mold the running mass
    Of metals, and inform the breathing brass;
    And soften into flesh a marble face. John Dryden, Æn.

    As from chaos, huddl'd and deform'd,
    The god struck fire, and lighted up the lamps
    That beautify the sky; so he inform'd
    This ill-shap'd body with a daring soul. John Dryden, Oed.

    Breath informs this fleeting frame. Matthew Prior.

    This sovereign arbitrary soul
    Informs, and moves, and animates the whole. Richard Blackmore.

    While life informs these limbs, the king reply'd,
    Well to deserve be all my cares employ'd. Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

    The drift is to inform their minds with some method of reducing the laws into their original causes. Richard Hooker.

    I have this present evening from my sister
    Been well informed of them, and with cautions. William Shakespeare.

    Our ruin, by thee inform'd, I learn. John Milton.

    The long speeches rather confounded than informed his understanding. Edward Hyde.

    The difficulty arises not from what sense informs us of, but from wrong applying our notions. Digby.

    Though I may not be able to inform men more than they know, yet I may give them the occasion to consider. William Temple.

    The ancients examined in what consists the beauty of good postures, as their works sufficiently inform us. Dryden.

    He may be ignorant of these truths, who will never take the pains to employ his faculties to inform himself of them. John Locke.

    To understand his calling in the commonwealth, and of religion, is enough to take up his time: few inform themselves in these to the bottom. John Locke.

    A more proper opportunity tends to make the narration more informing or beautiful. William Broome, Notes on the Iliad.

    I think it necessary, for the interest of virtue and religion, that the whole kingdom should be informed in some parts of your character. Jonathan Swift.

    Tertullus informed the governor against Paul. Acts xxvi. 1.

  2. To Informverb

    It is the bloody business which informs
    Thus to mine eyes. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

Wikipedia

  1. Inform

    Inform is a programming language and design system for interactive fiction originally created in 1993 by Graham Nelson. Inform can generate programs designed for the Z-code or Glulx virtual machines. Versions 1 through 5 were released between 1993 and 1996. Around 1996, Nelson rewrote Inform from first principles to create version 6 (or Inform 6). Over the following decade, version 6 became reasonably stable and a popular language for writing interactive fiction. In 2006, Nelson released Inform 7 (briefly known as Natural Inform), a completely new language based on principles of natural language and a new set of tools based around a book-publishing metaphor.

ChatGPT

  1. inform

    To inform means to give someone facts or information, telling them something they did not already know. It can also refer to updating or educating someone on a particular topic or context.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Informadjective

    without regular form; shapeless; ugly; deformed

  2. Informverb

    to give form or share to; to give vital ororganizing power to; to give life to; to imbue and actuate with vitality; to animate; to mold; to figure; to fashion

  3. Informverb

    to communicate knowledge to; to make known to; to acquaint; to advise; to instruct; to tell; to notify; to enlighten; -- usually followed by of

  4. Informverb

    to communicate a knowledge of facts to,by way of accusation; to warn against anybody

  5. Informverb

    to take form; to become visible or manifest; to appear

  6. Informverb

    to give intelligence or information; to tell

  7. Etymology: [L. informis; pref. in- not + forma form, shape: cf. F. informe]

Wikidata

  1. Inform

    Inform is a programming language and design system for interactive fiction originally created in 1993 by Graham Nelson. Inform can generate programs designed for the Z-code or Glulx virtual machines. Versions 1 through 5 were released between 1993 and 1996. Around 1996, Nelson rewrote Inform from first principles to create version 6. Over the following decade, version 6 became reasonably stable and a popular language for writing interactive fiction. In 2006, Nelson released Inform 7, a completely new language based on principles of natural language and a new set of tools based around a book-publishing metaphor.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Inform

    in-form′, v.t. to give form to: to animate or give life to: to impart knowledge to: to tell: (Milt.) to direct.—v.i. (Shak.) to take shape or form: to give information (with against or on).—adj. Inform′al, not in proper form: irregular.—n. Informal′ity.—adv. Inform′ally.—ns. Inform′ant, one who informs or gives intelligence; Informā′tion, intelligence given: knowledge: an accusation given to a magistrate or court.—adjs. Inform′ative, having power to form: instructive; Inform′atory, instructive; Informed′ (Spens.), unformed: (astron.) of stars not included within the figures of any of the ancient constellations.—n. Inform′er, one who informs against another. [O. Fr.,—L. informārein, into, formāre, to form.]

Editors Contribution

  1. inform

    To communicate or share information or knowledge.

    They did inform the government of their choices.


    Submitted by MaryC on February 9, 2020  

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'inform' in Verbs Frequency: #380

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of inform in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of inform in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of inform in a Sentence

  1. Dudley Sharp:

    Presume that people don't know and, therefore, inform them, so that knowledge is shared. Presuming knowledge, when absent, just furthers ignorance.

  2. Jake Basden:

    Out of courtesy, I personally texted Taylor Swift at 9:06 p.m, June 29 to inform her prior to the story breaking on the morning of June 30 so she could hear it directly from me.

  3. Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan:

    That information will inform a decision on a procurement path in the coming months.

  4. Antony Blinken:

    We … value our continued engagement with the LGBTQI+ community, which will inform our approach and positions moving forward, with this action, I express our enduring commitment to the LGBTQI+ community today and moving forward.

  5. Ivan Alcantara:

    Its not the responsibility of a resort, of my clients, to give out that information, its the responsibility of the U.S. State Department to give out that data. When someone dies on resort property, we inform the embassy of that persons country. Its the embassys role to inform its citizens, to give them the data, not ours.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

inform#1#5526#10000

Translations for inform

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"inform." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 Nov. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/inform>.

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