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
Synonyms
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
After being tipped by an informant that some horses had recently been doped, an F.B.I. agent posing as a New Jersey racing official pulled samples from a group of horses and sent them to a Hong Kong laboratory considered one of the finest in the world.
—
Melissa Hoppert, New York Times, 2 May 2024
She was detained after being dropped as an informant, with prosecutors arguing that the Israeli national would flee the country.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for informant 
Melissa Hoppert, New York Times, 2 May 2024
She was detained after being dropped as an informant, with prosecutors arguing that the Israeli national would flee the country.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for informant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'informant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
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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