informant

noun

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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 But, between December 2017 and May 2018, Ahmed prescribed oxycodone and medical marijuana to to an informant and to an undercover agent, The Courant previously reported. — Emily Brindley, courant.com, "East Hartford doctor pleads guilty to writing bogus narcotic prescriptions," 8 Nov. 2019 The hotel and cocktail lounge shut down after the owner was charged with selling a pound of meth to an FBI informant in the hotel’s basement. — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, "A giant new Spenard mural gazes over a storied, troubled corner," 23 Sep. 2019 But his suspected purpose for entering the chatroom, a meeting place for Islamic State sympathizers, was immediately alarming to an FBI informant who was secretly monitoring the exchanges. — Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY, "After massacres and thwarted plots, federal authorities confront limits in fighting domestic terror," 10 Sep. 2019 That got the attention of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles, who went to the Maricopa County Jail to talk to the informant. — AZCentral.com, "Don Bolles files: The case of Skippy Brazil, the drug informant who was set on fire," 28 Aug. 2019 According to federal prosecutors, Vazquez was involved in two separate one-pound sales of meth to an undercover informant, which took place in July 2017. — Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, "Man gets federal prison in Mexico/Antioch meth trafficking case," 7 Aug. 2019 Prosecutors said the note, along with recorded anti-American and anti-Semitic statements Hayat made to an undercover government informant, showed his jihadist mindset. — Bob Egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Lodi man’s conviction for aiding terrorists overturned — he’s spent 14 years in prison," 30 July 2019 Documents from Colombia's prosecutor's office show Martinez signed off on questionable payments to informants during that time. — Fox News, "Colombia army general promoted amid human rights concerns," 6 June 2019 The case involved Weldon Angelos, a father of two in his 20s when he was sentenced to 55 years in prison in 2004 for selling three small bags of marijuana to an informant while also carrying a gun. — Natalie Andrews, WSJ, "House Passes Criminal-Justice Reform Bill," 20 Dec. 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.

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Last Updated

24 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Informant.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 7 December 2019.

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More Definitions for informant

informant

noun