in for mal On /m'foiml; NAmEin'foirml/ adj.

1                  relaxed and friendly; not following strict rules of how to behave or do sth Ami7*64; £M{g64;

64 : an informal atmosphere A $£ 4& 64 la. o cm informal arrangement/meeting/visit 4^IEA64:£}# / /

i/f |n] o Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department, it ife PR 7 tE A H P4 #ff.

2                  (of clothes A HR) suitable for wearing at home or when relaxing rather than for a special or an official occasion 0 # (ft; Btfgl64 02223 casual Pm formal

3                  (of language if a) suitable for normal conversation

and writing to friends rather than for serious speech and letters #jOE^64; Pif A64: an informal expression #IE5$/Bit —compare formal, slang ► in-for-mal-ity /.infai'maelati; NAmE -fair'm-/ noun [U] infor mal ly /in'foimali; NAmE -'foirm-/ adv.: They told me informally (= not officially) that I had got the job. IMlAlEAJtfe It ifcftifi,          O to dress informally

ROR

in,formal 'settlement noun [SAfrE) a place where people decide to live and build temporary shelters, often followed by more permanent houses. Sometimes informal settlements are supplied with water, electri­city, etc. and people can become owners of individual pieces of land. HJrK; itSBtfflME

in form ant /informant; NAmE -'foirm-/ noun 1 a person who gives secret information about sb/sth to the police or a newspaper (  ) 4§H£M-t 64 A,

#, ^ A PCT71 informer 2 (technical A in) a person who gives sb information about sth, for example to help them with their research ( A®) Mi£^4464 A; 'o ft # : His informants were middle-class profes­sional women. fte64tfft#JiA/feIMM'l!3A0 informatics /.infa'maetiks; NAmE ,infar-/ noun [U]

= INFORMATION SCIENCE

information °""r /.infa'meijn; NAmE .infar'm-/ (also informal info) noun [U]

1 ~ (on/about sb/sth) facts or details about sb/sth fg MS; 'IfJR; ^44; ^iR: apieceofinformation — jjiij M S O a source of information M S A M o to collect/gather/obtain/receive information I&H / Itft / / J^iRcfgS 0 to provide/give/pass on information Jlfi /        / #HfgS o For further information on the

diet, write to us at this address. $C^M^i&1lt64#1t, if Sc ik A fife it ta ft in W is o 0 Our information is that the police will shortly make an arrest.          JRS, H

A7o 0 This leaflet is produced for the information of (= to inform) our customers.

A ft ft in 64 M % H fe S ffi £p M 64 o 0 an information desk fnim&t 0 He refused to comment before he had seen all the relevant information, it If f ij A ofl 40 A 44 A #1, life, fh ^6 if i£ o 2 (Mm£, informal) = directory enquiries infor mational /-Janl/ oaf/. [only before noun]: the informational content of a book 45 64 fil S t*I § O the informational role of the media If it] ft 64 fit S rrnrni for information 'only written on documents that are sent to sb who needs to know the information in them but does not need to deal with them (     )

DUR## for your infor mation 1 (abbr. FYI) = for information only 2 (informal) used to tell sb that they are wrong about sth ( Jf

H, fll 3? i£ H0 64 4§: For your information, I don’t even have a car. , ft H A fP $£ M „ —more at

mine n.

.information science (also informatics /.infa­'maetiks; NAmE .infar-/) noun [U] (computing if) the study of processes for storing and obtaining information ff S

44^

infor mation superhighway (also super high way, info-bahn) noun [computing if) a large electronic network such as the Internet, used for sending informa­tion such as sound, pictures and video quickly in digital form

infor mation tech nology noun [u] [abbr. IT) the study or use of electronic equipment, especially com­puters, for storing and analysing information fg S J£

a, mm& (##rft? Sitimmvvfr&m)

| 1047         infuriating

information theory noun [U] [mathematics WO a theory that is used to calculate the most efficient way to send information over distances in the form of signals or symbols fg.Eife

in forma tive /in'foimativ; NAmE -'foirm-/ adj. giving useful information SI fRMffHsS 64; 7 $11 iR 64: The

talk was both informative and entertaining.

EQ3 UNINFORMATIVE

in-formed /in'foimd; NAmE m'foirmd/ adj. having or showing a lot of knowledge about a particular subject or situation If] 64; Mf JEiR 64: an informed critic ^ RL life 64 Jtt it I? 0 an informed choice/decision/guess/ opinion WffciS64$i# / / Ml /        0 They are not

fully informed about the changes. fMl Atc A7ME# 3j(4£o O KeeP me informed of any developments, fit Ht il $0 HI 1f E o    renn uninformed — see also ill-

informed, WELL INFORMED

in-form-er /in'foim0(r); NAmE -'foirm-/ noun a person who gives information to the police or other authority (  ^A

info tain ment /.infau'teinmant; NAmE .infoo-/ noun [U] television programmes, etc. that present news and serious subjects in an entertaining way $fift&RAA @

infra- prefix (in adjectives      below or beyond a

particular limit f&7 (    infrared EA

— compare ultra-

in-frac-tion /m'fraekjn/ noun [C, U] [formal) an act of breaking a rule or law 4E M ;  & HTTl infringe­

ment: minor infractions of EU regulations

infra dig /.infra 'dig/ adj. [not before noun] [old-fashioned, informaf) considered to be below the standard of behav­iour appropriate in a particular situation or to sb’s social position AJH^h

infra red /.infra'red/ adj. [physics $j) having or using electromagnetic waves which are longer than those of red light in the spectrum, and which cannot be seen £1 £1 W: infrared radiation EA3SI4 0

an infrared lamp EE^IE — compare ultraviolet

in-fra-struc-ture /'infrastrAktJa(r)/ noun [C, U] the basic systems and services that are necessary for a country or an organization to run smoothly, for example buildings, transport and water and power supplies ( jli ► infrastructural

/,infra‘strAktJaral/ adj. [usually before noun]: infrastruc­tural development

in-fre-quenf /m'friikwant/ adj. not happening often A #• ^ tit. 64 ; ? JE 64      rare : her infrequent visits

home  Muggings are relatively infre­

quent in this area. %

mna frequent in fre quent ly adv.: This happens not infrequently [= often).

in-fringe /in'frind3/ verb 1 [VN] (of an action, a plan, etc. ff jj], if M #) to break a law or rule i§ #, M4E ( M ) : The material can be copied without in­fringing copyright.      WSfJ, AAJSffiHSRo

2 ~ (on/upon) sth to limit sb’s legal rights      ftiF

(         ) : [VN] They said that compulsory identity

cards would infringe civil liberties. j|] i£ ® t'J

tE p fi 4E A ft 64 § & o 0 [V] She refused to answer questions that infringed on her private affairs.

^ ft 4E ^ H 4A W |nj jS o ► in-fringe-ment /-mant/ noun [U, C]: copyright infringement HR4/. 64It4E 0 an infringe­ment of liberty ft g 64 64H3E

infuri ate /m'fjuarieit; /V/\mE -'Qur-/ verb to make sb extremely angry f       A ^    ^ M 02Z23

enrage : [VN] Her silence infuriated him even more.

64      ffe M in W ^ 7 o o [VN that] It infuriates me

that she was not found guilty. A ft A 64 41M A; H0 [alsoVNtoinfl

infuriat ing /in'fjuariertir); NAmE -'fjur-/ oaf/', making you extremely angry j^AlfcAA^ (       && ) 64: an

infuriating child/delay AAMA^^64^7; ^A1^064 M A 0 It is infuriating to talk to someone who just looks out of the window. ffliRBtE##WA64 A#iftRifcA^ A o ► in-furi-at-ing-ly adv.: to smile infuriatingly