information

noun in·for·ma·tion \ ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shən \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: information in a Sentence

Definition of information

1 : the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence

2 a (1) : knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction

(2) : intelligence, news

(3) : facts, data

b : the attribute inherent in and communicated by one of two or more alternative sequences or arrangements of something (such as nucleotides in DNA or binary digits in a computer program) that produce specific effects

c (1) : a signal or character (as in a communication system or computer) representing data

(2) : something (such as a message, experimental data, or a picture) which justifies change in a construct (such as a plan or theory) that represents physical or mental experience or another construct

d : a quantitative measure of the content of information; specifically : a numerical quantity that measures the uncertainty in the outcome of an experiment to be performed

3 : the act of informing against a person

4 : a formal accusation of a crime made by a prosecuting officer as distinguished from an indictment presented by a grand jury

—

informational

play \ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

—

informationally

adverb

See information defined for English-language learners

See information defined for kids

Examples of information in a Sentence

They're working to collect information about the early settlers in the region.
The pamphlet provides a lot of information on recent changes to the tax laws.
He gave the police false information about his background.
The conference will give us an opportunity to exchange information with other researchers.
We can't make a decision until we have more information.
The tests have not yet uncovered any new information.
I don't like having to reveal personal information when I fill in a job application.
He's accused of withholding useful information.
I couldn't remember his number so I had to call information.

Recent Examples of information from the Web

Here's a full preivew, including course information, tournament history, tee times, odds and predictions.

— daniel rapaport, SI.com, "How to Watch a Military Tribute at the Greenbrier: Tee Times, TV Channel, Live Stream," 5 July 2018
For information, contact Officer Bethany Brown at 847-913-2354 or by email at bbrown@lincolnshireil.gov.

— aileen simons, chicagotribune.com, "Column: The rules of caring for a newborn have changed for the better," 5 July 2018
The information, compiled by CoreLogic, is derived from official San Diego County records and includes nearly all sales.

— daniel wheaton, sandiegouniontribune.com, "See the latest home and condo sales ZIP-by-ZIP," 5 July 2018
With roughly a third of states releasing information, the insurers’ rate requests vary widely, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

— reed abelson, New York Times, "Obamacare Is Proving Hard to Kill," 3 July 2018
Sponsors have to send in personal information, including the last four digits of their social security number.

— sarah frier, Anchorage Daily News, "Facebook’s algorithm blocks ads for Bush’s beans, singers named Clinton," 3 July 2018
For more information, visit www.periwinklefoundation.org.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "Periwinkle Day Camp brings joy to campers battling cancer and life-threating illnesses," 3 July 2018
Now at the two-year anniversary of the investigation, safety advocates are expressing frustration over the limited information coming out of NHTSA, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave.

— CBS News, "Ford Explorer complaints continue even after carbon monoxide leak repairs," 2 July 2018
The low scores resulted from a range of user issues, including the inability to get information, complete transactions, or schedule appointments with ease.

— john ratcliffe, WIRED, "Reps. Khanna and Ratcliffe: It’s Time to Modernize Government Websites," 1 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'information.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of information

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

information Synonyms

Synonyms

intelligence, item, news, story, tidings, word;

dope, lowdown, scoop, tidbit (also titbit), tip;

gossip, rumor, tale, tattle;

feedback;

disinformation, propaganda;

Other Telecommunications Terms

Ethernet, intercept

INFORMATION Defined for English Language Learners

information

noun

Definition of information for English Language Learners

: knowledge that you get about someone or something : facts or details about a subject
: a service that telephone users can call to find out the telephone number for a specified person or organization

INFORMATION Defined for Kids

information

noun in·for·ma·tion \ ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shən \

Definition of information for Students

: knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction : facts or details about a subject

Synonym Discussion of information

information, knowledge, and learning mean what is or can be known. information may be used of a collection of facts gathered from many places.

- The book has a lot of information about baseball.

knowledge is used for facts and ideas acquired by study, observation, or experience.

- She has a knowledge of birds.

learning is used of knowledge acquired by long and careful study.

- The learning of a lifetime is in that book.

Law Dictionary

information

noun in·for·ma·tion

legal Definition of information

: an instrument containing a formal accusation of a crime that is issued by a prosecuting officer and that serves the same function as an indictment presented by a grand jury — compare complaint 2, indictment

Note: About half the states in the United States allow prosecutors to issue informations. The rest require indictment.