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 During their visit, they were lured to Miami-Opa-locka Executive Airport to check on a $700,000 payment that was promised to them by the DEA informant pretending to be a member of the Sinaloa cartel. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The Army had at least one soldier acting as an informant, who had infiltrated the student body and was with the group that disappeared. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 More big stories The informant next door: A quiet L.A. life masked Kremlin ties for an FBI source accused of lying about Bidens. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Day’s adaptation strips away most of the political background of the 2017 novel, leaving only residual traces of Jakub’s search for redemption for the sins of his father, an informant for the Communist Party publicly disgraced following the fall of the regime. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 Nonetheless, some level of mendacity is expected among informants working in a part of the world where misinformation is commonplace, forcing law enforcement officials to sift for germs of useful intelligence. Kenneth P. Vogel, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Others never left and supported the Taliban as informants. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024 Republicans grapple with fallout from key source indictment Democrats are almost sure to bring up the indictment of Alexander Smirnov, an FBI informant who was recently indicted for allegedly lying about Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’s involvement with Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 Hunter Biden: Alexander Smirnov, the former FBI informant charged with lying about Biden and his son Hunter Biden, has been arrested for a second time. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024

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.

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of informant was in 1641

Dictionary Entries Near informant

Cite this Entry

“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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

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