To give facts or information to someone; to tell someone about something. Can also mean to give character or essence to something, as in 'informed by experience.'
From Latin 'informare' meaning 'to give form to, describe' (in- 'into' + forma 'form, shape'). Originally meant to give shape or form to something, later evolved to mean giving shape to someone's knowledge through information.
The root meaning of 'inform' - to give form or shape - reveals that information doesn't just fill empty minds but actually reshapes them. This is why we speak of being 'well-informed' or having our opinions 'informed by' experience - knowledge literally gives new form to our thinking.
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