information

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)Something that provides a definitive characterization or description of the nature and attributes of a specified entity.
2. (uncountable, usually)Things that are or can be known about a given topic; communicable knowledge of something.

   “I need some more information about this issue.”

   “And ſo much yet did this contagion breake foorth to the harme of manie Inhabitants of his Towne, who affected the Vicont, that they which were encountred by the kinges troupes, (information being geuen of their demeanor) they were iudged to be of good prize, and voluntarely paid ranſom.”

   “It is usual to obtain by means of a census a good deal of information beyond the bare fact of the number of persons whose existence is, for the purposes of the census, taken cognizance of. Part of this information is obtained for purposes connected with the administration of the state, such as that contained in replies to questions as to the religion, profession, &c., of the individuals numbered.”

3. (uncountable, usually)The act of informing or imparting knowledge; notification.

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

   “At this time a great uneasiness became manifest among the Castilians, and it was rumored that Magallanes was going to deliver them over to the Portuguese; and they resolved to mutiny and seize the ships. Magallanes upon obtaining information of this was sorely grieved. He summoned the guilty ones before him one by one, but they flatly refused to come.”

4. (countable, usually)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.

   “That friend, […] added, with a smile, that he had more than once amused himself with the thought of a verbarian Attorney-General, authorized to bring informations ex officio against the writer or editor of any work in extensive circulation, who, after due notice issued, should persevere in misusing a word.”

   “'We have another deposition, doctor, to take; Mr. Irons, here, is prepared to swear informations of very singular importance.'”

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

   “The second formal method of charging someone with a crime is by information. Informations are filed by prosecutors without grand jury review.”

5. (obsolete, uncountable, usually)The act of informing against someone, passing on incriminating knowledge; accusation.
6. (archaic, uncountable, usually)The systematic imparting of knowledge; education, training.
7. (archaic, uncountable, usually)The creation of form; the imparting of a given quality or characteristic; forming, animation.
8. (formal, uncountable, usually)The meaning that a human assigns to data by means of the known conventions used in its representation.
9. (uncountable, usually)Divine inspiration.

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

10. (uncountable, usually)A service provided by telephone which provides listed telephone numbers of a subscriber.
11. (uncountable, usually)Any unambiguous abstract data, the smallest possible unit being the bit.
12. (uncountable, usually)The output resulting from the systematic collection, manipulation and organization of raw data into a structured, interpretable format.
13. (uncountable, usually)Any ordered sequence of symbols (or signals) (that could contain a message).