information

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   (communication theory) a numerical measure of the uncertainty of an outcome

   the signal contained thousands of bits of information

2. 2
   noun

   Something that provides a definitive characterization or description of the nature and attributes of a specified entity.

   And now we come to the third keystone, information.⁸ Information may be thought of as a reduction in entropy—as the ingredient that distinguishes an orderly, structured system from the vast set of random, useless ones.⁹ Imagine pages of random characters tapped out by a monkey at a typewriter, or a stretch of white noise from a radio tuned between channels, or a screenful of confetti from a corrupted computer file. Each of these objects can take trillions of different forms, each as boring as the next. But now suppose that the devices are controlled by a signal that arranges the characters or sound waves or pixels into a pattern that correlates with something in the world: the Declaration of Independence, the opening bars of “Hey Jude,” a cat wearing sunglasses. We say that the signal transmits information about the Declaration or the song or the cat.¹⁰

3. 3
   noun

   Things that are or can be known about a given topic; communicable knowledge of something.

   I need some more information about this issue.

4. 4
   noun

   The act of informing or imparting knowledge; notification.

   For your information, I did this because I wanted to.

5. 5
   noun

   A statement of criminal activity brought before a judge or magistrate; in the UK, used to inform a magistrate of an offence and request a warrant; in the US, an accusation brought before a judge without a grand jury indictment.

   On May 21, 1792, the Attorney General filed an information against Paine charging him with seditious libel.

6. 6
   noun

   Divine inspiration.

   But there was no information, and so we continued And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon

7. 7
   noun

   knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction

8. 8
   noun

   a message received and understood

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Late Latin in- Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ)der.? Late Latin fōrma Late Latin fōrmō Late Latin īnfōrmō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Late Latin -tiō Late Latin īnfōrmātiōder. Middle English enformacioun English information From Middle English enformacioun, informacioun, borrowed from Anglo-Norman informacioun, enformation, Old French information, from Latin īnfōrmātiō (“formation, conception; education”), from the participle stem of īnformāre (“to inform”). Equivalent to inform + -ation.