Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

informer

American  
[in-fawr-mer] / ɪnˈfɔr mər /

noun

  1. a person who informs inform against another, especially for money or other reward.

  2. a person who informs inform or communicates information or news; informant.

informer British  
/ ɪnˈfɔːmə /

noun

  1. a person who informs against someone, esp a criminal

  2. a person who provides information

    he was the President's financial informer
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of informer

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; inform 1, -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She was recruited as a police informer after being charged with drug offences in 1993.

From Barron's

In Mali, the mercenaries’ uncoordinated, brutal raids on civilian settlements “created chaos and fear within the Malian military hierarchy,” deterring informers from collaborating and creating recruitment opportunities for jihadists, the Sentry’s report said.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is something about a healthy personality that feels repelled by a snoop, a snitch, a stool pigeon, an informer.

From Salon

"I think that's probably the only way it's going to be solved - someone on the inside becomes an informer."

From BBC

It will also introduce extra powers for investigators, and a special protected status for informers.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.