informer

noun

in·​form·​er in-ˈfȯr-mər 

1

: one that imparts knowledge or news

2

: one that informs against another

specifically : one who makes a practice especially for a financial reward of informing against others for violations of penal laws

Synonyms

• betrayer
• canary [slang]
• deep throat
• fink
• informant
• nark [British]
• rat
• rat fink
• snitch
• snitcher
• squealer
• stoolie
• stool pigeon
• talebearer
• tattler
• tattletale
• telltale
• whistle-blower

Examples of informer in a Sentence

the informer who told the police about that conspiracy has angered a lot of dangerous people

Recent Examples on the Web

The Ukrainian soldiers began to see Russian civilians as a hindrance — or worse, as potential informers who could give away their positions. —Ekaterina Bodyagina Nanna Heitmann, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025

The arrests were part of wide-ranging Establishment attacks on the new generation of pop stars in Britain at the time, done through connivance with informers and a hostile conservative media. —Bill Wyman, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025

The informer has a criminal record, mostly for theft, the Bee reported. —Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025

Given the increasingly absurd pretexts the state is using for criminal prosecution and the resounding success of informers of all stripes, the judicial crackdown will continue to worsen. —Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1504, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for informer

• conformer
• performer
• reformer
• transformer
• dormer
• former
• warmer

Kids Definition

informer

noun

in·​form·​er in-ˈfȯr-mər 

: someone who informs

especially : a person who informs against someone else

Legal Definition

informer

noun

in·​form·​er

: informant