informant

  • 1informant — in·for·mant /in fȯr mənt/ n: one who informs against another; specif: one who makes a practice esp. for money of informing police of others criminal activities Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. informant …

    Law dictionary

  • 2Informant — In*form ant, n. [L. informans, antis, p. pr. of informare. See {Inform}, v. t.] 1. One who, or that which, informs, animates, or vivifies. [Obs.] Glanvill. [1913 Webster] 2. One who imparts information or instruction. [1913 Webster] 3. One who… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3informant — ⇒INFORMANT, ANTE, part. prés. et adj. I. Part. prés. de informer. II. Adjectif A. [Correspond à informer I] Qui apporte sens, forme. Aussitôt parvenue au lieu qui lui est assigné, elle [l âme] exerce autour d elle, dans l air ambiant, la… …

    Encyclopédie Universelle

  • 4informant — UK US /ɪnˈfɔːmənt/ noun [C] ► a person who answers questions relating to their opinions or feelings about something, so that information can be collected about it: »a survey informant …

    Financial and business terms

  • 5informant — informant, informer An informant is a neutral term for someone who gives information, especially about language, culture, etc. to a linguist or anthropologist. An informer is someone who gives information against another person to the authorities …

    Modern English usage

  • 6informant — informant, ante (entrée créée par le supplément) (in for man, man t ) adj. Terme de philosophie. Qui donne une forme. •   Cette force dont il parle est éminemment une force informante, une puissance tantôt morale, tantôt plastique de communiquer… …

    Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • 7informant — (n.) 1660s, someone or something that supplies information, from L. informantem (nom. informans), prp. of informare (see INFORM (Cf. inform)). Meaning one who gives information to the authorities, informer is from 1783. As an adjective from 1890 …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 8informant — / informer [n] person who delivers news accuser, adviser, announcer, betrayer, blabbermouth*, canary*, crier, deep throat*, double crosser, herald, interviewer, journalist, messenger, newscaster/newsperson, notifier, preacher, propagandist, rat* …

    New thesaurus

  • 9informant — ► NOUN 1) a person who gives information to another. 2) another term for INFORMER(Cf. ↑informer) …

    English terms dictionary

  • 10informant — [in fôr′mənt] n. [< L informans, prp. of informare, to inform] a person who gives, or serves as a source of, information; specif., a) a native speaker of a language whose pronunciations, usages, etc. are studied and recorded by linguists b)… …

    English World dictionary