well-informed

well-informed — adjective

1. A person who is well-informed knows a great deal about a particular topic or sta

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

A person who is well-informed knows a great deal about a particular topic or stays up to date on what is happening in the world.

Example

Amani is well-informed about climate change and reads the latest scientific reports.

well-informed about [topic]

To stay well-informed, Vinícius watches the news on TV every evening.

stay well-informed

Common collocations
  • well-informed about
  • well-informed on
  • extremely well-informed
  • remarkably well-informed
  • well-informed source
  • well-informed opinion
  • keep well-informed
  • stay well-informed
Synonyms
  • knowledgeable

    more general — refers to deep understanding, not just having current information

  • informed

    similar meaning but less emphatic; 'well-informed' suggests a higher degree of thoroughness

  • clued-up

    informal British English, often implies practical or insider knowledge

  • au fait

    formal, borrowed from French, implies being fully conversant with a subject

Antonyms
  • uninformed

    lacking knowledge or information on a topic

  • ignorant

    stronger and more negative — implies having no knowledge at all

Grammar Patterns

be well-informed about + topic

stay well-informed

keep someone well-informed about + topic

Usage Note

Commonly followed by the preposition 'about' or 'on' to indicate the topic area. Can also be used without a complement when the context makes the topic clear.

Common Mistakes

He is well-informing about the subject.
He is well-informed about the subject.
'well-informed' is an adjective, not a verb; use the past participle form.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe having knowledge, but they differ in scope and register. 'Knowledgeable' is the broadest — it suggests deep understanding gained through study or experience, and works for any field ('a knowledgeable art historian'). 'Informed' is the closest to 'well-informed' and often relates to current affairs or specific situations ('an informed decision'); it can describe a one-time state of having been given information. 'Well-read' is narrower: it means knowledgeable because you have read a lot, especially in literature, history, or culture. 'Clued-up' is informal British slang for being practically informed, often about insider workings ('a clued-up tech support person'). For everyday use about current events, 'well-informed' is the most natural choice.

knowledgeable ↗informedwell-read ↗clued-up

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • keep (someone) well-informed
  • stay well-informed

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Formed in English from the adverb 'well' (Old English 'wel', meaning 'in a good or satisfactory way') and the past participle 'informed' (from Latin 'informare', meaning 'to shape, train, or instruct'). The compound adjective 'well-informed' has been used since the 1400s to describe someone who has been thoroughly instructed or kept up to date.