Definition

Noun: 1. A person who provides information without being specifically tasked to collect it: A "passive source" is an informant who is not directed to gather particular intelligence or data. Instead, they voluntarily or routinely share whatever information they happen to acquire through their normal activities or position.

Usage

• The term is primarily used in contexts involving intelligence, journalism, or information gathering.
• It describes a source of information who acts spontaneously rather than under direct assignment or active recruitment for a specific purpose.

Examples

• The journalist protected the identity of her passive source, a government clerk who occasionally leaked documents of interest.
• In intelligence work, a passive source might be a foreign official who shares gossip and rumors at social events, without being a formally controlled asset.
• The report was based on tips from several passive sources within the industry.

Advanced Usage

• The concept contrasts with an "active source" or "agent," who is specifically tasked with collecting targeted information.
• "To function as a passive source": To act in the capacity of an unsolicited informant.
  • The diplomat began to function as a passive source, forwarding memos he thought were relevant to the reporter.

Variants and Related Words

• Source (n): A person, publication, or document that provides information.
• Informant (n): A person who gives information to another.
• Whistleblower (n): A specific type of informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization. (Note: A whistleblower can be a passive source, but not all passive sources are whistleblowers.)

Synonyms

• Unwitting source
• Casual informant
• Unassigned informant

Antonyms

• Active source
• Agent
• Operative

Noun

1. an informant who is not assigned to obtain specific intelligence but who routinely passes on whatever information he or she has