informant
/ɪnˈfɔːmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈfɔːrmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈfȯr-mənt/ (ame, mw)
informant — noun
- informantsingular
- informantsplural
1. a person who tells facts or details to someone who needs them, such as in an off
a person who tells facts or details to someone who needs them, such as in an office, a government department, or a daily situation where information is requested
The tour guide acted as an informant, pointing out historic buildings along the river.
informant + as [role]
When Mei arrived in Taipei, a helpful informant at the station gave her a city map and bus schedule.
Local informants told the travel writers which restaurants served the freshest seafood.
Grace worked as an informant for the visitor center, answering tourist questions about hiking trails.
The office manager asked each department to name one informant who would share updates at the weekly meeting.
文法句型
informant + for [organization/person]
informant + at [place]
用法筆記
This sense is neutral and describes any person who gives facts when asked. It does NOT carry the criminal or secret connotation of sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. a person who secretly passes knowledge about illegal or suspicious activity to l
a person who secretly passes knowledge about illegal or suspicious activity to law enforcement, intelligence agencies, or news organizations, often in return for payment, immunity, or protection
The FBI's confidential informant wore a hidden microphone inside the smuggling ring.
confidential informant (key legal collocation)
After receiving death threats, the informant was moved to a safe house by the police.
No one in the office suspected that Elena was the informant who had leaked the documents to the newspaper.
The drug dealer searched desperately for the informant who had told police about his operation.
Prosecutors refused to reveal the informant's name, citing safety concerns and the risk of revenge.
- informer
more negative and informal; often suggests the person is betraying a group they belong to
- whistleblower
someone who exposes wrongdoing from inside an organization, often publicly and for ethical reasons, not secretly for payment
- mole
an informant who works inside an organization for a long time, typically in intelligence contexts
- source
the preferred term in journalism; can be anonymous and does not imply payment or criminality
- target
the person or group being investigated, opposite of the informant who provides information about them
文法句型
confidential informant
police informant
informant + for [police/FBI]
act as an informant + on [person/group]
用法筆記
In formal legal settings, the term 'confidential informant' (often abbreviated CI) is standard. In journalism, 'source' is more common than 'informant' to describe someone who provides information to reporters.
常見錯誤
3. a person who shares their personal knowledge, experiences, or language skills wi
a person who shares their personal knowledge, experiences, or language skills with a researcher to help with an academic study, particularly in fields such as linguistics, anthropology, or sociology
For her linguistics thesis, Thandiwe interviewed five native informants from a small mountain village.
native informant (research context)
Each informant in the anthropology study described how their grandparents grew rice fifty years ago.
The researchers paid each informant the equivalent of a day's wages for a two-hour interview.
Arjun was chosen as an informant because he spoke three local dialects fluently.
The study's informants came from six different age groups, giving the data a wide range of perspectives.
- participant
the most common term in modern research ethics; implies active consent and involvement
- consultant
preferred in linguistic fieldwork; highlights the person's expertise in their own language
- respondent
used in survey research; suggests a person who answers prepared questions rather than sharing open-ended knowledge
文法句型
native informant
research informant
informant + in [study/survey]
用法筆記
In modern anthropology and linguistics, many researchers prefer the terms 'consultant' or 'participant' instead of 'informant', because 'informant' can carry unwanted associations with police investigations (sense 2).