in·for·ma·tion
ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shən
1
a(1)
: knowledge gained from investigation, study, or instruction
collecting information about the region's earliest inhabitants
… "The Glass Menagerie" is a distinctly American story, full of information about the politics of the time …—Hilton Als
(2)
: knowledge of a particular event or situation : intelligence, news
looked up the latest information on the approaching storm
The neurosurgeon had explained to her that there was no target for an operation on her spine that would cure her pain. She did not receive this information well.—Abdul-Ghaaliq Lalkhen
(3)
: facts, data
a reliable source of information
… the steadfast, self-affirming confidence of someone who, when presented with new information or a different point of view, can change their mind.—Steve Edwards
see also contact information
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
mathematics
: 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
2
: the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence
A price list is enclosed for your information.
3
obsolete
: the act of informing against a person
4
law
: a formal accusation of a crime made by a prosecuting officer as distinguished from an indictment presented by a grand jury
informationally
adverb
in·for·ma·tion·al
¦in-fər-¦mā-shə-nᵊl
-shnəl
: relating to or giving information : informing
informational service of a library
informationally
adverb
… helping readers overcome a lack of prior knowledge about complex and informationally dense texts.
—Charles Kinzer et al., Language Arts, February 1997
Cite this Entry
“Information.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/information. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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