informant

noun

in·​for·​mant in-ˈfȯr-mənt How to pronounce informant (audio)
Synonyms of informantnext
: 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 of informant

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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.
Ziccarelli said that Cochran claimed the charges were withdrawn because the defendant was working as a confidential informant. — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, an FBI informant who had helped recruit the squad of commandos, had learned of the constitutional obstacles after consulting with an Ecuadorian lawyer, José Antonio Corrales. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 At 17 he was arrested for twice selling crack cocaine to an informant. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 The court documents also note that Mosleh made the sale of the products to a confidential informant after Strang's and Hamilton's deaths, even warning the informant that people had been dying from the product. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 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

Rhymes for informant

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Browse Nearby Words

informal planning
informant
in forma pauperis
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Cite this Entry

“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about informant

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