The word informed was first used in the 1980s, to describe an informed opinion that the reader has a good understanding of what is happening.
Now, as an academic in the field of education, I’m often asked about the difference, and I can tell you, it’s not a big deal.
As the dictionary definition of the word states, “A person who has a sound knowledge of what he is being told and is in a position to correct or challenge it.”
While I may disagree with some of the information provided, I would never call someone an educated or informed definition of a word or phrase.
However, it is important to note that the word informed has become synonymous with “informed” and “informed definition.”
I can’t think of a single word that is synonymous with either word.
There is a reason for this, and it is because we are inundated with information from the mainstream media, as well as many non-mainstream sources.
The media has a tendency to distort and misrepresent information, often to advance a particular political or economic agenda.
When information is presented to us, we often feel misled.
The mainstream media has been using the word educated definition for quite some time now, which is a bit ironic considering they used to be called informed definitions.
So what are the two different definitions?
An educated definition describes information presented to an educated person, whereas an informed one describes information given to a non-educated person.
For instance, in a dictionary definition, informed means: “having a sound and competent understanding of the matter.”
So if a reader is given an opinion, and the reader is able to take a sound analysis of the statement, the reader will know the statement is correct.
However if the reader doesn’t have a sound understanding of this statement, and is just presented with information, the information will not be helpful to the reader.
Informed definition: “Having a sound, competent understanding and the ability to make correct and informed decisions.”
An educated person might be able to grasp the statement by hearing a few examples, but will not know the full context of the situation.
For example, someone who is a lawyer might be unable to grasp that someone’s job is to help a client, but may still be able grasp that it is the client’s responsibility to take care of the needs of the client.
Similarly, someone might have an education, but not a sound background in legal law.
In an informed or educated definition, the speaker can clearly and concisely state the facts and make a sound decision.
When we are given a statement, we should be able understand what is being said.
We should be well versed in the law, the legal process, and how to apply the law to solve a problem.
An educated reader might also be able take a look at the source material and learn the law and facts, but this information would not be relevant to the decision made by the reader, who would have been led to believe that the statement was correct.
As a final example, an informed reader might read the Wikipedia article on “the history of the world”, but a non-“informed” reader would not.
As we can see, the two definitions of the same word are different.
When an educated reader has the opportunity to read the source materials, and has a clear understanding of why the statement made by a non “educated” reader is incorrect, then he will be able easily and independently evaluate the statements presented to him.
For non-editors, an educated writer has the same issue.
When a writer writes an article, they must provide the reader with the context of what the author is attempting to convey.
If the reader cannot understand the context, they will not likely read the article.
For a non educated reader, it will be difficult to understand what the writer is trying to convey by using a single sentence to summarize the information.
The writer has to provide the context.
For an educated author, it might be more beneficial for the reader to review the article, or at least read through it before deciding to give it a read.
However a non trained reader will likely have a different experience, and may be more likely to think of the article as merely a “story” and not as a statement of fact.
The difference between the two will often become apparent when one of the sources is written for a non skilled audience.
For those who are not able to read or understand the information presented, they may come to the conclusion that the author did not write for the same audience.
When this happens, it becomes a challenge for the writer to explain how the reader should take the information, or what they should consider in deciding what to include or remove.
For more information on how the term informed is used in education, check out this article on How to use the word.
I can guarantee you that you will be surprised how many non experts use the term “informed.”
I don’t mean to be