whistleblower

or whis·tle-blow·er

[ wis-uhl-bloh-er, hwis- ]

noun

1. a person who informs on another or makes public disclosure of corruption, wrongdoing, problems, or secret information, especially within an organization.

Other Words From

• whis·tle·blow·ing whis·tle-blow·ing noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of whistleblower¹

First recorded in 1965–70; whistle ( def ) + blower ( def )

Example Sentences

“When we got there we were told to discriminate against people,” a whistleblower told the outlet.

From BBC

Boeing also has been the target of multiple whistleblower lawsuits that have alleged lax safety and manufacturing practices that resulted in quality-control issues.

From Los Angeles Times

The public inquiry was launched following an investigation by BBC Panorama in 2017 prompted by a whistleblower who worked as a custody officer at the centre.

From BBC

A few words about the history of the whistleblower provisions.

From Los Angeles Times

According to documents obtained by ProPublica, an unnamed Trump Media whistleblower recently asked the company’s board of directors to fire Nunes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• informant
• informer