Search
Select the dictionary language
whistle-blower
/wˈɪsəlblˈoʊɚ/
whistle blower
whistleblower
Whistle-blower
01
an employee or former employee who reports wrongdoing or illegal activity within an organization
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Human
Composition
Compound
Countable
Plural form
whistle-blowers
What does "whistle-blower" mean in workplace slang?
The term "whistle-blower" refers to an employee or former employee who reports illegal, unethical, or improper activity within an organization. The structure comes from the metaphor of blowing a whistle to alert others to wrongdoing or danger. It is commonly used in workplace, legal, and corporate contexts to describe individuals who expose misconduct, fraud, corruption, or policy violations.
Examples
The whistle-blower exposed the company's safety violations.
