Informants: meaning, definitions and examples
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informants
[ ˌɪnˈfɔːrmənts ]
intelligence gathering
People who provide information or intelligence, especially to the authorities or researchers. They may be formally trained or simply observers in a particular field.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- Police relied on informants to gather information about the criminal organization.
- The journalist's informants within the government provided valuable insights for the article.
linguistics
Speakers of a language who are consulted by researchers for information about that language's grammar, vocabulary, or usage.
Synonyms
consultants, language experts
Examples of usage
- Linguists often work with native informants to understand the nuances of a language.
- The researcher interviewed several informants to gather data about the dialect.
Translations
Translations of the word "informants" in other languages:
🇵🇹 informantes
🇮🇳 सूचनाकर्ता
🇩🇪 Informanten
🇮🇩 informan
🇺🇦 інформанти
🇵🇱 informatorzy
🇯🇵 インフォーマント
🇫🇷 informateurs
🇪🇸 informantes
🇹🇷 bilgi verenler
🇰🇷 정보 제공자
🇸🇦 المخبرون
🇨🇿 informátoři
🇸🇰 informátori
🇨🇳 线人
🇸🇮 informatorji
🇮🇸 upplýsingar
🇰🇿 ақпарат берушілер
🇬🇪 ინფორმანტები
🇦🇿 məlumat verənlər
🇲🇽 informantes
Word origin
The word 'informant' originated in the late 18th century, derived from the Latin 'informare' meaning 'to give form to'. Originally used in legal contexts to refer to someone who provides information to the authorities, its usage has expanded to fields like intelligence gathering and linguistics.