Whistleblower Terminology

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The witness decided to inform on the criminal activity she had witnessed.
• I heard that Sarah is going to inform on her cheating boyfriend.
• Don't be a snitch and inform on your friends.
• Sometimes it's necessary to inform on your own thoughts to gain clarity.

noun a person who leaks information, especially secret or classified information

• The company launched an investigation to identify the leaker of confidential information.
• I heard there's a leaker in the office who's been sharing gossip with everyone.
• That leaker is always spilling the tea on everyone's business.
• The journalist was hailed as a hero for being a leaker of important government secrets.

noun the act of retaliating before an actual provocation or attack has occurred

• The company has a strict policy against any form of pretaliation towards employees who report misconduct.
• Don't worry about pretaliation from your boss, just speak up and report what you saw.
• If you experience any pretaliation for whistleblowing, you should contact HR immediately.
• The looming threat of pretaliation can discourage employees from reporting unethical behavior.