whistle-blower en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From whistle + blower, referring to a police officer blowing their whistle on observing a violation of the law.
Meanings
-
(US) One who reports a problem or violation to the authorities; especially, an employee or former employee who reports a violation by an employer.
The huge breach of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program in June 2013 was one of the proudest moments in modern journalism, and one of the purest: A brave and disgusted whistle-blower, Edward Snowden, revealed the government’s extensive surveillance of American and foreign citizens.
2020 September 14, Ben Smith, “The Intercept Promised to Reveal Everything”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:We owe it to a small group of brave whistle-blowers that we know about the infractions at all.
As my study proceeded, I began to see that an investigation of organizational morality should also explore managerial dissenters, so-called whistleblowers, many of whom take stands against their organizations on grounds that they define as moral.
1988, Robert Jackall, “Author's Note”, in Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers, Twentieth Anniversary edition, →ISBN, page 242:Usually the whistleblower is not fired outright. The organization's goal is to disconnect the act of whistleblowing from the act of retaliation, which is why so much legislation to protect whistleblowers is practically irrelevant. The usual practice is to demoralize and humiliate the whistleblower, putting him or her under so much psychological stress that it becomes difficult to do a good job.
2012, Frederick D. Lipman, Whistleblowers, Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, →ISBN, page 60:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| whistle-blowers | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| whistle blower | alternative | lexicographic | |
| whistleblower | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
tattletale · whistleblowing · blow the whistle
Synonyms
rooster · nark · blabtongue · telltale tit · grass · outer · squealer · informer · bigmouth · gossip · CI · tout · bewrayer · canary · nonce · narc · tattler · blabtale · sneak · stoolie · state's evidence · whistleblower · sycophant · fink · accuser · finger · informant · beefer · fizgig · tattletale · stooge · stool pigeon · leak · ratfink · snout · quisling · telltale · rat · supergrass · abaddon · peacher · mole · blabber · snitch · jurat
Translations (59)
cmn 吹哨人 (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · no fløyteblåser (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · no varsler (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ka მომხსენებელი (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ka ინფორმატორი (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ga sceithire (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · es alertador (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · id pelapor pelanggaran (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · id pelapor (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · sh zviždač (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · es delator en su trabajo (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · da whistleblower (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ru доно́счица (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · vi người tố cáo (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · es propalador (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · sh звиждач (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · cmn 吹哨者 (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · uk інформа́торка (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ru информа́тор (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · mk свиркач (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · de Skandalaufdecker (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · is uppljóstrari (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ba ошаҡсы (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · pl sygnalistka (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ru доно́счик (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · fr dénonciatrice (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · pl sygnalista (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · it informatore (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · de Enthüller (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · hu informátor (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · de Hinweisgeberin (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · fr lanceur d'alerte (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ru осведоми́тельница (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · es pregonante (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ms pemberi maklumat (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ru осведоми́тель (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · es revelador de secretos (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · de Hinweisgeber (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · fi ilmiantaja (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · sv visselblåsare (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · gl chileta (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ka დამსმენი (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ja 内部告発者 (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · de Whistleblower (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · fr dénonciateur (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · es denunciante (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · tr muhbir (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · nl klokkenluider (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · gl malsín (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · vi người tố giác (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · uk інформа́тор (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · gl lengoreteiro (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · ko 내부고발자 (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · cs informátor (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · es alcaucil (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · vi người thổi còi (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · pt delator (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · fr lanceuse d'alerte (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities) · hy ազդարար (one who reports a problem or violation to the authorities)