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informant

noun

in·​for·​mant in-ˈfȯr-mənt How to pronounce informant (audio)
: a person who gives information: such as
a
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Using pole cameras, confidential informants, and other surveillance systems, the FBI kept an eye on the home for months. Dan Raby, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025 This mystery woman has somehow negotiated the full Gangland informant-protection treatment. Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025 In one incident August a man and a woman who had travelled from Saut d’Eau to purchase food at the Désarmes market were killed by members of the Désarmes self-defense group after being accused of being informants for the Canaan gang. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for informant

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of informant was in 1641

Cite this Entry

“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

informant

noun
in·​for·​mant in-ˈfȯr-mənt How to pronounce informant (audio)

Legal Definition

informant

noun
in·​for·​mant in-ˈfȯr-mənt How to pronounce informant (audio)
: one who informs against another
specifically : one who makes a practice especially for money of informing police of others' criminal activities

More from Merriam-Webster on informant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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