confidential informant

American  

[kon-fi-den-shuhl in-fawr-muhnt] / ˌkɒn fɪˈdɛn ʃəl ɪnˈfɔr mənt /

noun

1. a person who works undercover for law enforcement to gather information about felonious criminal activities: some confidential informants are criminals themselves, hired to work undercover in exchange for leniency or exoneration: CI

   We’re told that this elusive drug lord was finally taken down thanks largely to a confidential informant, whose identity remains fiercely protected.

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Etymology

Origin of confidential informant

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Joseph Vincent, a dual Haitian-American citizen and former confidential informant for the U.S.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 19, 2023

Unlike a gang case, where the defendants figuring out the name of the confidential informant before trial would be significant, in this case, witnesses have already publicly agreed to testify in exchange for lenient treatment.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2023

Mary Murray discovered a transcript of an interview between Long Beach police investigators and a confidential informant named Glenn Gosnell that was conducted months after the shooting, court records show.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2023

At the official’s request, Mr. McGonigal opened an FBI investigation into foreign lobbying in which the former Albanian intelligence employee was a confidential informant.

From Washington Times • Apr. 6, 2023

"Just who is this confidential informant, anyway, Ole?"

From By Proxy by Dongen, H. R. van