Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One that gives information.
- noun One who informs against others; an informer.
- noun One who furnishes linguistic or cultural information to a researcher.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Giving form; transmuting matter by communicating to it a form; informing.
- noun One who informs or gives information; an informer.
- noun Synonyms Informant, Informer. Informant is special, relating only to a given occasion: as, who was your informant? Informer may be special or general, relating to one occasion or, more commonly, to a practice or occupation, as implying a habit of informing, or a dishonorable betrayal of knowledge gained in confidence. It has acquired odious associations.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun obsolete One who, or that which, informs, animates, or vivifies.
- noun One who imparts information or instruction.
- noun Obs. or R. One who offers an accusation; an informer. See
Informer .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun One who
relays confidential information to someone, especially to thepolice ; aninformer . - noun linguistics One who provides information about their
language .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun someone who sees an event and reports what happened
- noun a person who supplies information
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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SEEING the same intelligence would have required asking pefect questions, searching reams of paper to find the hidden qualifiers, such as “the informant is a liar.”
Think Progress » Sen. Roberts Questions Bush Claim That Congress Saw “Same Intelligence” On Iraq 2005
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The CIA agents killed by an informant is a pretty good indicator that profiling has its limits.
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Noel ordered that the file be turned over to Harkat's lawyers forthwith, even though a CSIS informant is named in it.
Archive 2009-05-01 2009
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The involvement of a paid government informant is the only reason four Newburgh, N.Y., men are facing charges they engaged in a plot to blow up a Bronx synagogue and to shoot down military planes last year, defense lawyers said Tuesday.
Informant Draws Fire Chad Bray 2010
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We know our informant is real, and we know their next target.
Archive 2008-12-01 Ulysses 2008
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"Jericho" (CBS) -- Deaf actress Shoshannah Stern has played Bonnie Richmond on the sci-fi show for two years, and according to my informant is beloved character.
Make that lucky 13 characters with Jericho's return BA Haller 2008
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In other Wire news, this week's episode confirmed that Lester Fremon and Shardene (the much younger stripper turned informant from the 1st season) are still an item.
March 3rd, 2008 trinfaneb 2008
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We know our informant is real, and we know their next target.
What is The Muppetrix? Ulysses 2008
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Peter Kellner denies these are the right figures, but the site's informant is standing by his claim.
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BLITZER: The word informant has, sometimes, a sinister connotation, Steve, as you know.
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