whistle-blower
Definition
Noun: A person who informs on someone engaged in an illicit or otherwise secretive activity, typically within an organization, by revealing it to the public or to authorities. The term implies an act of disclosure intended to stop wrongdoing, often at personal risk.
Usage
The term "whistle-blower" is used to describe an individual, often an employee or insider, who reports misconduct, illegal activities, fraud, corruption, or dangers to public health and safety. It emphasizes the act of exposing hidden information from within a group or institution.
Examples
- The whistle-blower provided documents proving the company had been dumping toxic waste illegally.
- Government agencies sometimes have hotlines for whistle-blowers to report fraud anonymously.
- She became a whistle-blower after discovering the safety data had been falsified.
Advanced Usage
- "To blow the whistle": This is the verb phrase from which the noun is derived. It means to act as a whistle-blower by exposing wrongdoing.
- He decided to blow the whistle on the corrupt practices.
- The role is often discussed in contexts of ethics, law (e.g., whistle-blower protection acts), journalism, and corporate governance.
Variants and Related Words
- Whistleblowing (n): The action or process of exposing wrongdoing.
- The case raised important questions about whistleblowing and employee rights.
- Informant (n): A more general term for someone who provides information.
- Source (n): Often used in journalism for a person who provides confidential information.
Synonyms
- Informer
- Revealer
- Exposer
- Mole (esp. in espionage contexts)
Related Phrases
- Whistle-blower protection: Legal safeguards intended to protect whistle-blowers from retaliation.
- The new law strengthened whistle-blower protection for federal employees.
Noun
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an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it
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the law gives little protection to whistleblowers who feel the public has a right to know what is going on
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the whistleblower was fired for exposing the conditions in mental hospitals
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