variants or less commonly nark
slang
: a person (such as a government agent) who investigates narcotics violations

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The software, which would effectively act like a narc embedded on people’s iPhones, could have unintended consequences, critics said, despite Apple’s assurances that it would be used solely to stop child predators. Declan Harty, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2021 In that same breath, Kenya Moore explaining to Latoya what a narc was in an insult to Drew was a stunning lack of cognitive dissonance with her behavior over the course of this season. Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2021 His successor also has the mindset of an undercover narc. Steve Chapman, chicagotribune.com, 14 Aug. 2020 And while Jamie would have handled this situation perfectly, Roger straight-up turns Isaiah over like a total narc, gets everyone wasted on whiskey, and a bunch of people ditch his militia as a result. Mehera Bonner, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Mar. 2020 All staffed by unattractive people in their late twenties, professional narcs with bad skin and waterproof sandals. Emma Cline, The New Yorker, 24 June 2019 El Diario reports that fans have downloaded that app more than 10 million times, essentially turning them into undercover narcs. Dami Lee, The Verge, 12 June 2019 Remember to act surprised when a piece of turquoise comes shooting out of your airway, in case this Good Samaritan is also a narc. Sarah Lazarus, The New Yorker, 8 June 2019 What’s key to remember about this policy, a Facebook spokesperson tells The Verge, is that Groups and Pages should be spared from censorship, so long as there aren’t narcs in the group. Ashley Carman, The Verge, 6 Dec. 2018 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

short for narcotics agent

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of narc was in 1966

Dictionary Entries Near narc

Cite this Entry

“Narc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narc. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

narc

noun
variants also nark
ˈnärk
slang
: a person (as a government agent) who investigates narcotics violations

More from Merriam-Webster on narc

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