informant
gb/ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/ us/ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
B2
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
legal
C1
role
1
person who secretly gives police information
A person who secretly tells the police information.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is an informant for [police/agency]; information from an informant
Error frecuente:
Often confused with informer; informant is very common in police/crime contexts and can sound more official.
Sinónimos
source (More general; not necessarily connected to the police.)
|
informer (Similar meaning; can sound slightly more general or old-fashioned in some contexts.)
|
tipster (Emphasizes giving tips rather than ongoing cooperation.)
|
snitch (Slang and usually negative or insulting.)
Colocaciones
confidential informant
|police informant
|anonymous informant
|paid informant
|reliable informant
|key informant
|an informant's identity
|information from an informant
|tip from an informant
|informant network
Temas
crime
|law
|government
Ejemplos
- The police said the arrest was based on information from a confidential informant.
- He agreed to become an informant after he was caught with drugs.
- Prosecutors argued that the informant’s details matched other evidence.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The informant gave the police a name.
- They protected the informant’s identity.
Sustantivo
technical
C2
role
2
research participant who provides insider information
A person who gives information to a researcher for a study.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] acts as an informant for [researcher/study]; interview an informant
Error frecuente:
In academic writing, informant does not mean a police source; the meaning depends on the research context.
Sinónimos
participant (Broader and more neutral; common in modern research ethics language.)
|
respondent (Often used for surveys and questionnaires.)
|
consultant (Common in linguistics for a native speaker who helps analyze language.)
Colocaciones
key informant
|local informant
|informant interview
|informant data
|informant testimony
|fieldwork informant
|informant report
|informant responses
|informant consent
|recruit informants
Temas
education
|science
|language
Ejemplos
- The study relied on three key informants who had lived in the area for decades.
- Each informant was interviewed twice during the fieldwork period.
- The linguist compared recordings from different informants to check the pattern.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The researcher interviewed an informant.
- Her informant explained local customs.
Sustantivo
formal
B2
role
3
person who supplies information
A person who gives information to others.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is an informant on [topic]; informant to [group/organization]
Error frecuente:
In everyday conversation, people usually say source or person; informant often sounds formal or police-related.
Sinónimos
source (The most common everyday word for where information comes from.)
|
insider (Suggests special access to internal information.)
Colocaciones
a reliable informant
|an anonymous informant
|a well-placed informant
|an informant on the issue
|a trusted informant
|informant testimony
|informant statement
|informant's account
Temas
communication
Ejemplos
- According to an informant close to the negotiations, the deal is nearly finished.
- The reporter refused to reveal the informant’s name.
- Multiple informants gave the same account of what happened.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The informant told the journalist the news.
- An informant gave details about the plan.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
informant
AFI
GB/ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
US/ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
Sílabas y acento
in - form - ant (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (form)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: informant
- Plural: informants
Familia de palabras
Forms
informants
noun
Core family
Related words
informer
noun
informational
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
disinformation
noun C1
Expresiones
anonymous informant
1/ənˈɑnəməs ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
fixed phrase
informant who stays unnamed
A person who gives information but does not give their name.
Ejemplos
- The search began after a tip from an anonymous informant.
- Officials said they could not verify the anonymous informant’s claims.
confidential informant
1/kˌɑnfədˈɛnʃəl ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
fixed phrase
legal
informant whose identity is protected
A police informant whose name is kept secret.
Ejemplos
- A confidential informant arranged the meeting with the suspect.
- The judge reviewed the confidential informant’s statement in private.
government informant
1/ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
fixed phrase
informant who reports to authorities
A person who secretly gives information to the government.
Ejemplos
- The report claimed there was a government informant in the organization.
- Several activists said they felt they were being watched by government informants.
jailhouse informant
1/d͡ʒˈeɪlhˌaʊs ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
fixed phrase
legal
prison inmate who provides testimony
A prisoner who tells the police information about another prisoner.
Ejemplos
- The conviction relied heavily on a jailhouse informant’s testimony.
- The judge warned the jury to treat the jailhouse informant with caution.
paid informant
1/pˈeɪd ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
fixed phrase
informant who is paid for information
An informant who gets money for information.
Ejemplos
- Defense lawyers attacked the credibility of the paid informant.
- The agency admitted it had used a paid informant in the operation.
police informant
1/pəlˈis ɪnfˈɔɹmənt/
fixed phrase
informant who works with police
A person who gives the police secret information.
Ejemplos
- He was revealed as a police informant during the trial.
- The gang suspected there was a police informant inside their group.