Meanings
nouninformer (plural informers)
plural informers · alternative informor · alternative informour
- One who informs someone else about something.
- A person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity.
Being an informer often meant living in fear.
2 more examples
The police relied on an informer to catch the gang.
He acted as an informer during the rebellion.
- One who informs, animates, or inspires.
1729, Alexander Pope, Prologue to Sophonisba (by James Thomson Nature, informer of the poet's art.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
nounone who reveals confidential information to the police or other authority
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Anglo-Normanenfourmour
- Middle Englishenformour
- Englishinformer
Inherited from Middle English enformour, from Anglo-Norman enfourmour; equivalent to inform + -er.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek συκοφάντης
- συκοφάντης (sukophántēs)one who informs
Bulgarian доно́сник, доно́сница
- доно́сник (donósnik)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- доно́сница (donósnica)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- доно́сничка (donósnička)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
Catalan informador, informant
- informadorone who informs
- informantone who informs
Czech udavač, udavačka
- udavačperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- udavačkaperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- informátorone who informs
Finnish tietolähde, ilmiantaja
- tietolähdeperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- ilmiantajaperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- tietolähdeone who informs
French informateur
- informateurone who informs
German Denunziant, Verpfeifer
- Denunziantperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- Verpfeiferperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- Ausplaudererperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- Informantone who informs
- Hinweisgeberone who informs
- Tippgeberone who informs
- Zuträgerone who informs
Greek καταδότης, πληροφοριοδότης
- καταδότης (katadótis)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- πληροφοριοδότης (pliroforiodótis)one who informs
Hebrew מַלְשִׁין, מוֹסֵר
- מַלְשִׁין (malshín)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- מוֹסֵר (mosér)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- מלשין (malshin)one who informs
Hungarian besúgó
- besúgóperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
Irish brathadóir
- brathadóirperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
Italian informatore, informatore
- informatoreperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- informatoreone who informs
- divulgatoreone who informs
Latin dēlātor
- dēlātorperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
Māori kaiwhakaatu
- kaiwhakaatuone who informs
Polish informator, informatorka
- informatorperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- informatorkaperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- informatorone who informs
Portuguese informante, delator
- informanteperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- delatorperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- informanteone who informs
- informadorone who informs
Russian доно́счик, доно́счица
- доно́счик (donósčik)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- доно́счица (donósčica)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- стука́ч (stukáč)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- информа́тор (informátor)one who informs
- осведоми́тель (osvedomítelʹ)one who informs
- осведоми́тельница (osvedomítelʹnica)one who informs
Scottish Gaelic brathadair
- brathadairperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
Spanish informador, informadora
- informadorperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- informadoraperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- informadorone who informs
- informadoraone who informs
Tagalog tagahimaton, impormador
- tagahimatonperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- impormadorperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- impormadoraperson who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- tagahimatonone who informs
- impormadorone who informs
- impormadoraone who informs
Ukrainian доно́щик, доно́щиця
- доно́щик (donóščyk)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
- доно́щиця (donóščycja)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
Welsh amlygwr
- amlygwrone who informs
Yiddish מסור
- מסור (moser)person who tells authorities about improper or illegal activity
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with informer
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
informer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/informer
MLA
“informer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/informer. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “informer,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/informer.
Source: informer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.