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
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
Two years ago, an FBI informant met with a South Florida man who expressed his desire to join an anti-government militia and build a bomb targeting a New York City landmark, the FBI said.
—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Babeuf was betrayed by an informant, put on trial in 1797, and eventually acquitted of conspiracy, but he was executed for committing his ideas about inequality to print.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
An informant for the FBI quickly identified members of the Ku Klux Klan as her killers.
—
Gary Fields,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
In addition, investigators working for Duncan’s legal team interviewed a jailhouse informant who recanted his earlier trial testimony that Duncan had confessed to the crime.
—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for informant
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Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Babeuf was betrayed by an informant, put on trial in 1797, and eventually acquitted of conspiracy, but he was executed for committing his ideas about inequality to print.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
An informant for the FBI quickly identified members of the Ku Klux Klan as her killers.
—
Gary Fields,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
In addition, investigators working for Duncan’s legal team interviewed a jailhouse informant who recanted his earlier trial testimony that Duncan had confessed to the crime.
—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for informant
Cite this Entry
“Informant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/informant. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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