inform

Inform is a verb meaning to provide someone with knowledge about something or to tell them information. It is typically used transitively, as in inform someone of something, inform someone that something is the case, or inform the authorities about a situation. Common synonyms include apprise, notify, and tell. In addition to its general sense, inform can be used with phrases such as inform the public or inform on someone, the latter meaning to report that person to authorities.

Etymology derives from the Latin informare, meaning to shape or form, and it reached English via Old French and Middle English. The sense of imparting knowledge evolved from the broader sense of shaping the mind or informing someone’s understanding.

Usage notes: inform is usually followed by a direct object (the person being informed) and by a clause or noun phrase detailing the information conveyed (of the policy, that the meeting is canceled, etc.). It often implies a formal or official conveyance of information, but it is widely used in everyday speech as well. The verb is generally neutral in tone, though it can carry formality or procedural connotations in legal, administrative, or organizational contexts.

Inform (programming language): Inform is also the name of a programming language designed to author interactive fiction. Created by Graham Nelson in the 1990s, it evolved into Inform 7, which emphasizes natural-language style coding. Inform compiles to interactive-fiction engines such as the Z-machine or Glulx, and remains popular in the historical and hobbyist communities of interactive storytelling.