whistleblower

noun

whis·​tle·​blow·​er ˈ(h)wi-səl-ˌblō-ər How to pronounce whistleblower (audio)
variants or whistle-blower
plural whistleblowers or whistle-blowers
: one who reveals something covert or who informs against another
especially : an employee who brings wrongdoing by an employer or by other employees to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency

Note: A whistleblower is commonly protected legally from retaliation.

I think whistleblowers play a hugely important role in countering the worst corporate and government excesses. Damon Poeter
… pledges to protect whistle-blowers who fear reprisals for their efforts. Wall Street Journal
Congress also added significant new protection for whistleblowers. The 1986 act provides remedies including reinstatement, back-pay with interest, and, as appropriate, punitive damages for whistleblowers who are discharged, demoted, or discriminated against due to involvement with a False Claims disclosure. Bradford A. Penney
whistleblowing adjective
or whistle-blowing
a whistleblowing report
Many states have already enacted laws that protect whistle-blowing employees from retaliation. Greg Critser
whistleblowing noun
or whistle-blowing
… a National Security Agency agent who got in trouble for whistle-blowing. Renée Camus

Examples of whistleblower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Barnett later filed a whistleblower complaint with the FAA. Niha Masih, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 The plant manufactured the 787 Dreamliner, which was the subject of multiple whistleblower complaints. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 In January 2023 — the same month the law took effect — lawyers for the county deposed a whistleblower who’d accused officials of failing to protect him from a deputy gang known as the Banditos. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The jury found the NRA violated state laws protecting whistleblowers who raised concerns about the organization, a cohort that included the group's former president, Oliver North. Jake Offenhartz The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2024 But there were a slew of other issues the jury had to decide on, including whether the NRA violated state whistleblower protection policies. Melissa Chan, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 But the whistleblower suit filed against Aledade appears to be the first to allege upcoding within accountable care organizations, which describe part of their mission as foiling wasteful spending. Fred Schulte, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 On Friday, the whistleblower responded to the Ford letter. Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024 This could be particularly critical for whistleblowers or undercover journalists or anyone who doesn’t want to reveal their whereabouts, as IP addresses can be used to trace a person’s rough location. Barry Collins, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whistleblower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whistleblower was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near whistleblower

Cite this Entry

“Whistleblower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whistleblower. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

whistleblower

noun
whis·​tle·​blow·​er
ˈhwi-səl-ˌblō-ər
: an employee who brings wrongdoing by an employer or other employees to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency and who is commonly vested by statute with rights and remedies for retaliation compare qui tam action
whistleblowing
-iŋ
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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