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

Citing a whistleblower, they claim Universal potentially made "covert payments" to iHeart as part of a "pay-to-play scheme" to promote the song.

From BBC

The latest phase of the inquiry, which concluded this month, heard from senior managers, estates staff, whistleblowers, independent experts and affected families.

From BBC

They included whistleblowers, victims of scams and current and former employees of the regulator.

From BBC

Simufilam’s problems began in 2021, when a law firm representing two whistleblowers, who stood to profit if Cassava’s stock fell, filed a citizen’s petition with the U.S.

From Science Magazine

But Mr Garofalo later became suspicious after a whistleblower claimed that Crisp continued to sell perfume in Moscow.

From BBC

Related Words

• informant
• informer