Informational

How to spell informational

13 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce informational

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does informational mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to or providing information, especially facts intended to inform rather than persuade or entertain.

Informational in a sentence

• The museum handed out an informational leaflet at the entrance.

• The company hosted an informational session about the new pension scheme.

Where does informational come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin verb informare, which literally meant 'to give shape to' or 'to form', built from the prefix in- 'into' and forma 'shape, form'. By extension the Romans used it figuratively for shaping the mind, that is, instructing or teaching someone. The noun 'information' reached English through Old French in the 1300s, carrying the sense of knowledge communicated or facts imparted. The adjective 'informational' is a much later, largely English-built formation, adding the suffix -al to 'information' to describe something that relates to or conveys information; it became common only in the twentieth century with the rise of media and computing. The spelling trap lives in the long unstressed middle, since the two letter sequences -ma- and -tion- and the suffix -al all run together with reduced vowels, and the doubled-looking forma root tempts some writers to misplace letters.

How the word is built

• in- (into)
• form (shape)
• -ation (act/result noun suffix)
• -al (adjective suffix)