Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

infiltrator

American  
[in-fil-trey-ter, in-fil-trey-] / ˈɪn fɪlˌtreɪ tər, ɪnˈfɪl treɪ- /

noun

  1. a soldier, intelligence agent, or other person who moves surreptitiously and gradually into an organization, territory, community, or the like, especially with hostile intent.

    Using a false name, the infiltrator participated in meetings and prep sessions with the protest group and had complete access to their documentation.

  2. a person or thing that causes one substance to pass into another by filtering.

    The roots of wetland plants serve as massive water infiltrators, allowing more rainwater to seep into the soil and recharge underground aquifers.


Etymology

Origin of infiltrator

infiltrat(e) ( def. ) + -or 2 ( def. )

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.

They had to go with the “selfie cruise” narrative, which meant they had to treat them with basic decency because they couldn’t pass them off as some evil infiltrator.

From Slate • Sep. 29, 2025

“I just had the worst infiltrator the org has ever seen,” Brown wrote.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 8, 2023

Ukrainian agencies, Ton-That said, have used the app to confirm the identities of people at military checkpoints and to check whether a Ukrainian is a possible Russian infiltrator or saboteur.

From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2022

Far from Chick-fil-A being an infiltrator, it seems right at home.

From Washington Times • Apr. 25, 2018

“Should I—there’s no way you could be an infiltrator, is there? Can I trust you?”

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "infiltrator" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com