1. a person who gives information to someone in authority, especially about a crime
2. a person who provides information for research or study
Usage: academic; research

Examples

• The police relied on an informant to solve the case.
• The informant provided crucial details about the robbery.
• Researchers interviewed each informant for two hours.
• The anthropologist’s informant shared stories about local customs.
• The FBI protected the identity of their informant.
• Language researchers often work with native speaker informants.
• The informant’s testimony helped convict the suspect.