Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Information has 6 different meanings across 1 category:
a message received and understood
"The team finally got important information about the merger when the CEO sent out an email to all staff."
knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction
"She spent years gathering information about ancient civilizations before finally publishing her book on archaeology."
formal accusation of a crime
"The detective filed an information against the suspect for grand larceny before taking him into custody."
(communication theory) a numerical measure of the uncertainty of an outcome
"the signal contained thousands of bits of information"
That which resolves uncertainty; anything that answers the question of "what a given entity is".
"The detective's final report provided crucial information about the suspect's whereabouts, finally resolving all uncertainty."
In plain English: Information is any fact, detail, or knowledge that you learn about something.
"The teacher asked for more information about the field trip before we could sign up."
Usage: Use "information" to refer to facts, data, or details that clarify a situation or answer specific questions. Avoid using it as a verb in casual speech, and do not use it to mean "bad news" or "trouble."
The word "information" entered English from Middle English and Old French, ultimately deriving from the Latin term for "formation" or "education." It traveled into our language through the process of informing someone, retaining its core sense of providing facts or knowledge.