informer
B2Informal to neutral, but often carries a negative connotation. Common in news, legal, and crime contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A person who gives information, especially secretly, to the police or another authority about criminal activities.
Any person or device that provides information or data, sometimes in a broader or more general sense, though often retaining a negative connotation of secret disclosure.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term strongly implies a breach of trust or secrecy within a group. It is not a formal legal term (cf. 'witness', 'whistleblower') but is widely understood in societal discourse.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is very similar. The term is equally common and carries the same core meaning. British English may have a slightly stronger historical association with organised crime and police informants.
Connotations
Universally negative, implying betrayal. Slightly less stigmatised in certain American law enforcement contexts where 'confidential informant' is a standard term.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English, possibly due to historical and media prevalence of crime dramas. In American English, 'snitch' is a more common colloquial synonym.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
informer for [an organisation]informer on [a person/group]informer against [an accomplice]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “turn queen's/king's evidence (UK legal equivalent)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; if used, it's metaphorical, e.g., 'He was an informer for a rival company.'
Academic
Used in criminology, sociology, and history papers discussing crime, policing, or social control.
Everyday
Common in news reports about crime. Used pejoratively in conversation.
Technical
In law enforcement, 'confidential informant' (CI) is the formal term. 'Informer' is the layperson's term.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The police caught the thief because an informer called them.
- Nobody in the gang knew that their friend was a police informer.
- The journalist protected the identity of her informer.
- Fearing for his life, the informer was placed into a witness protection programme after the trial.
- The credibility of the evidence hinged on the testimony of a single, paid informer.
- The ethical dilemma of using informers, who are often criminals themselves, continues to challenge judicial systems.
- He was ostracised by his community after being revealed as an informer for the security services.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FORM you fill with INformation. An IN-FORM-er gives away information (on a form).
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS A COMMODITY (given/sold), BETRAYAL IS A DISEASE (a 'rat' or 'snitch' is contagious to a group).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with Russian 'информатор' (which is neutral, like 'source'). The negative equivalent in Russian is 'доносчик', 'стукач', 'информатор' in this sense is a calque trap.
- Avoid using 'informer' for a person who merely provides general information or instructions (use 'guide', 'information clerk').
Common Mistakes
- Using 'informer' as a direct synonym for 'teacher' or 'announcer'.
- Confusing 'informer' (person) with 'information' (abstract noun).
- Using in a positive context: 'She was a good informer about the city's history.' (Incorrect)
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely synonym for 'informer' in a negative context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A whistleblower typically exposes wrongdoing within an organisation to the public or authorities for ethical reasons, often protected by law. An informer is usually involved in illicit activities themselves and provides secret information, often for money or leniency.
Rarely. Its core connotation is negative (betrayal). In very specific, formal contexts like 'a confidential informant', it is neutral, but the simpler term 'informer' almost always carries a stigma.
'Police informer' is the most frequent and established collocation, firmly linking the word to the context of crime and law enforcement.
The word itself implies disapproval. To use it neutrally, specify the context, e.g., 'acting as an informer for the police'. To show clear disapproval, use stronger synonyms like 'snitch' or 'traitor'.
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