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
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
Paul Campo, 61, of Oakton, Virginia, who retired from the DEA in 2016 after a 25-year career, and Robert Sensi, 75, of Boca Raton, Florida, were caught in sting involving a law enforcement informant who posed as a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, prosecutors said.
—
Fortune, 6 Dec. 2025
Like all the best cop dramas, there’s corruption on all sides, with gangsters-turned-informants and cops on the take, but the Northern Irish setting gives Blue Lights a particular edge.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
The group’s structure and methods have been revealed by Johannes Domhöver, a former member turned informant who has testified that the gang targeted individuals and conducted assaults near demonstrations, using hammers to inflict lasting injuries.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Rich with informants across the Paris underworld, BRB detectives could tap their networks for immediate theories (and maybe a name or two) in the Louvre case.
—John Miller, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for informant
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Fortune, 6 Dec. 2025
Like all the best cop dramas, there’s corruption on all sides, with gangsters-turned-informants and cops on the take, but the Northern Irish setting gives Blue Lights a particular edge.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
The group’s structure and methods have been revealed by Johannes Domhöver, a former member turned informant who has testified that the gang targeted individuals and conducted assaults near demonstrations, using hammers to inflict lasting injuries.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Rich with informants across the Paris underworld, BRB detectives could tap their networks for immediate theories (and maybe a name or two) in the Louvre case.
—John Miller, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for informant
Cite this Entry
“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
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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