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

There are laws to protect whistleblowers who reveal corporate malfeasance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump, meanwhile, has publicly railed against whistleblowers. Justin Gest, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025 Wyden said his staff found out about the events on Friday and independently confirmed them through whistleblowers and internal sources. Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025 This can have a chilling effect on whistleblowers and others who may be willing to come forward with information about wrongdoing. Steven Delco, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2025 According to Reuters, the whistleblower complaint was filed in January 2023 with FinCEN and the U.S. Justice and Homeland Security departments. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for whistleblower 

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 16 Feb. 2025.

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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