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
The other room was covered in plastic painter tarp with a sanitation sink and three saws visible, according to the informant.
—
Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2024
Bulger was convicted in 2013 in a string of 11 killings and dozens of other gangland crimes, many of them committed while he was said to be an FBI informant.
—CBS News, 1 Aug. 2024
Valencia-Gonzalez put a gun to the informant’s head and took $950 plus an additional $500 in money that had been provided to the informant by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
In 2011, a scheme to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington fell apart thanks to a confidential Drug Enforcement Administration informant.
—Ken Dilanian, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for informant 
Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2024
Bulger was convicted in 2013 in a string of 11 killings and dozens of other gangland crimes, many of them committed while he was said to be an FBI informant.
—CBS News, 1 Aug. 2024
Valencia-Gonzalez put a gun to the informant’s head and took $950 plus an additional $500 in money that had been provided to the informant by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
In 2011, a scheme to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington fell apart thanks to a confidential Drug Enforcement Administration informant.
—Ken Dilanian, NBC News, 9 Aug. 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 12 Sep. 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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