informant
noun
in·for·mant
in-ˈfȯr-mənt 
: a person who gives information: such as
a
: informer
b
: one who supplies cultural or linguistic data in response to interrogation by an investigator
Synonyms
Examples of informant in a Sentence
The police were alerted to the plot by a paid informant.
We learned the language with the help of a native informant.
Recent Examples on the Web
The personal messages with informants seemingly shows an angry teenager with conflicting, extreme ideas.
—
Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Like le Carré, Forsyth was an associate of MI6 (as a longtime unpaid informant).
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Court records show that in at least one case, Thompson, who a federal judge would later sentence to just over five years in prison, offered to include incendiary ammunition as part of a sale to an informant.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2024
The District Attorney’s office had based its case on the testimony of undercover police informants, including a detective who had opened the Harlem branch of the Black Panthers in 1968.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
That case stemmed from him selling heroin to a police informant in 2018, and firing back at someone who shot at him in May 2019, according to court records.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Editor’s picks In his life, this translated into whispers that turned into headlines, and informants infiltrating mosques and schools.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024
In reading court documents, they were stunned to learn about the high number of F.B.I. informants in the case, who had not only helped organize and connect potential domestic terrorists but had secretly taped hundreds of hours of meetings, conversations, and training sessions.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
The case against him began when Canadian police officials received a photograph of weapons from a confidential informant.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Like le Carré, Forsyth was an associate of MI6 (as a longtime unpaid informant).
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Court records show that in at least one case, Thompson, who a federal judge would later sentence to just over five years in prison, offered to include incendiary ammunition as part of a sale to an informant.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2024
The District Attorney’s office had based its case on the testimony of undercover police informants, including a detective who had opened the Harlem branch of the Black Panthers in 1968.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
That case stemmed from him selling heroin to a police informant in 2018, and firing back at someone who shot at him in May 2019, according to court records.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Editor’s picks In his life, this translated into whispers that turned into headlines, and informants infiltrating mosques and schools.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024
In reading court documents, they were stunned to learn about the high number of F.B.I. informants in the case, who had not only helped organize and connect potential domestic terrorists but had secretly taped hundreds of hours of meetings, conversations, and training sessions.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
The case against him began when Canadian police officials received a photograph of weapons from a confidential informant.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'informant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
informant
noun
in·for·mant
in-ˈfȯr-mənt
: informer
Legal Definition
informant
noun
in·for·mant
in-ˈfȯr-mənt
: one who informs against another
specifically
: one who makes a practice especially for money of informing police of others' criminal activities
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