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.
After receiving information from this informant, authorities were able to test Gonzalez’s DNA against the Gatorade bottle and airbags in the car, when Gonzalez was arrested in an unrelated car theft investigation last April, according to court records. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024 Intentionally or not, this makes Cal’s conversation with Armand, his unwilling informant inside Dwight’s organization, harder to take seriously. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024 Every major city has a local informant who will sell you info about quests, monsters, ingredients, whatever. Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 14 Oct. 2024 The setup is sensible for structural reasons, as informants naturally would have no information about secret, unheard of threats, though having to reload before the encounter and alter party formations still feels forced and clunky. Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near informant

Cite this Entry

“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 1 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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