informant

noun

in·for·mant | \ in-ˈfȯr-mənt

Definition of informant

: a person who gives information: such as

a : informer

b : one who supplies cultural or linguistic data in response to interrogation by an investigator

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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 case cracked open thanks in part to multiple informants and statements made by Diehl-Armstrong herself. — Chris Harris, PEOPLE.com, "The Bizarre Real-Life Story of the Pizza Guy Who Robbed a Bank with a Bomb Around His Neck," 21 May 2018 He was trained in surveillance detection, recruiting and handling informants and classified material. — CBS News, "U.S. indicts ex-CIA officer suspected of passing info to Chinese agents," 9 May 2018 Was basically going in the community and asking informants and people to tell him the history and stories. — Karen Bliss, Billboard, "Jeremy Dutcher Aims to Disrupt 'Anglo-Centric Music Narrative' With Wolastoq-Language Album: Premiere," 5 Apr. 2018 In reality, this person was an FBI informant attempting to learn what Trump campaign officials knew about Russian efforts to hack into Democratic emails. — Brian Chasnoff, San Antonio Express-News, "Comeuppance for conspiracy theorists," 25 May 2018 Federal transportation records show that Prestige is owned by Shahed Hussain, who worked as an informant for the FBI after the Sept. 11 attacks. — Michael Hill, The Seattle Times, "Limo driver’s family believes he was given an unsafe vehicle," 10 Oct. 2018 The New York Times reported separately last week that at least one government informant met several times with Page and George Papadopoulos, another former foreign policy adviser on Trump’s campaign. — Darlene Superville, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump to demand DOJ review claims of FBI spy on campaign," 20 May 2018 And at least one government informant met several times with Mr. Page and Mr. Papadopoulos, current and former officials said. — New York Times, "Code Name Crossfire Hurricane: The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation," 16 May 2018 The first post from an anonymous user alleging to be a high-level government informant came on October 28, on the 4chan message board /pol/. — Jane Coaston, Vox, "#QAnon, the scarily popular pro-Trump conspiracy theory, explained," 1 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'informant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.