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
More recently, the Department of Justice charged the Southern Poverty Law Center — a civil rights nonprofit accused by Republicans of targeting conservatives in its work tracking extremists — with defrauding donors through payments to informants.
—
James Pollard, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
According to prosecutors, the officers went to a home with an informant to make a firearms purchase.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Fagan and Edwards proceeded to draw and point their own firearms at the officers and the informant.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
McCord, a former acting assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, noted that the use of confidential informants to gather intelligence on extremist groups mirrors investigative techniques routinely employed by federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for informant
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James Pollard, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
According to prosecutors, the officers went to a home with an informant to make a firearms purchase.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Fagan and Edwards proceeded to draw and point their own firearms at the officers and the informant.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
McCord, a former acting assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, noted that the use of confidential informants to gather intelligence on extremist groups mirrors investigative techniques routinely employed by federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for informant
Cite this Entry
“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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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