1. people who provide information to authorities, researchers, or investigators
2. people who secretly give information about others to police or government agencies
Usage: often implies secrecy or betrayal
3. native speakers who provide language data to linguists or researchers
Usage: linguistics; academic

Examples

• The journalist protected the identities of her informants.
• Police relied on several informants to solve the case.
• The anthropologist worked with local informants to understand the culture.
• FBI informants helped gather evidence against the crime syndicate.
• Linguistic researchers interviewed native informants about their language.
• The detective’s network of informants provided valuable tips.
• Academic studies often depend on willing informants from the community.