Standard Lemma guide

whistle-blower

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • British, Southern, Standard: /ˈwɪs(ə)lbləwə/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Examples

  • We owe it to a small group of brave whistle-blowers that we know about the infractions at all.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abaddon, accuser, beefer, bewrayer, bigmouth, blabber, blabtale, blabtongue, canary, CI, finger, fink, fizgig, gossip, grass, informant, informer, jurat, leak, mole, narc, nark, nonce, outer, peacher, quisling, rat, ratfink, rooster, sneak, snitch, snout, squealer, state's evidence, stooge, stool pigeon, stoolie, supergrass, sycophant, tattler, tattletale, telltale tit, telltale, tout, whistleblower

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the law gives little protection to whistleblowers who feel the public has a right to know what is going on
  • the whistleblower was fired for exposing the conditions in mental hospitals

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: whistle blower, whistleblower

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: informant, source

History

Etymology

From whistle + blower, referring to a police officer blowing their whistle on observing a violation of the law.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ազդարար (azdarar) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Bashkir: ошаҡсы (oşaqsı) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Chinese Mandarin: 吹哨人 (chuīshàorén) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Chinese Mandarin: 吹哨者 (chuīshàozhě) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Czech: informátor — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Danish: whistleblower — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Dutch: klokkenluider — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Finnish: ilmiantaja — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • French: lanceur d'alerte — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • French: lanceuse d'alerte — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • French: dénonciateur — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • French: dénonciatrice — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Galician: malsín — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Galician: chileta — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Galician: lengoreteiro — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Georgian: ინფორმატორი (inpormaṭori) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Georgian: დამსმენი (damsmeni) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Georgian: მომხსენებელი (momxsenebeli) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • German: Whistleblower — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • German: Hinweisgeber — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • German: Hinweisgeberin — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • German: Enthüller — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • German: Skandalaufdecker — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Hungarian: informátor — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Icelandic: uppljóstrari — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Indonesian: pelapor pelanggaran — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Indonesian: pelapor — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Irish: sceithire — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Italian: informatore — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Japanese: 内部告発者 (naibukokuhatsusha) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Korean: 내부고발자 (naebugobalja) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Macedonian: свиркач (svirkač) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Malay: pemberi maklumat — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Norwegian: fløyteblåser — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Norwegian: varsler — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Polish: sygnalista — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Polish: sygnalistka — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Portuguese: delator — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Russian: осведоми́тель (osvedomítelʹ) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Russian: осведоми́тельница (osvedomítelʹnica) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Russian: информа́тор (informátor) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Russian: доно́счик (donósčik) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Russian: доно́счица (donósčica) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Serbo-Croatian: звиждач — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Serbo-Croatian: zviždač — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Spanish: revelador de secretos — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Spanish: delator en su trabajo — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Spanish: alertador — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Spanish: denunciante — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Spanish: alcaucil — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Spanish: propalador — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Spanish: pregonante — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Swedish: visselblåsare — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Turkish: muhbir — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Ukrainian: інформа́тор (informátor) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Ukrainian: інформа́торка (informátorka) — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Vietnamese: người thổi còi — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Vietnamese: người tố cáo — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities
  • Vietnamese: người tố giác — one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities