Meaning & use

informer

noun·Academic

A person who secretly gives information to the police or another authority about someone else's criminal or wrongful activity.

See it in a sentence

The gang leader was eventually caught after an informer tipped off the police.

Being labeled an informer put the witness's safety at serious risk.

A note on using this word

"Informer" often carries a negative, distrustful connotation, whereas "informant" is the more neutral term used in official law-enforcement contexts.

Words with a similar meaning

informantsnitch

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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