private investigator

noun

: a person not a member of a police force who is licensed to do detective work (such as investigation of suspected wrongdoing or searching for missing persons)

Synonyms

• detective
• dick
• gumshoe
• hawkshaw
• investigator
• operative
• private detective
• private eye
• shamus [slang]
• sherlock
• sleuth
• sleuthhound

Examples of private investigator in a Sentence

She hired a private investigator to follow her husband.

the retired policeman decided to become a private investigator

Recent Examples on the Web

That meeting alone is enough for a federal corruption probe, according to Tom Brennan, the family's private investigator for nearly a decade and a former Pennsylvania state trooper. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2025

According to court records, Recio agreed to bribe Costanzo, who was the DEA supervisor in Miami, in exchange for his providing the private investigator with confidential information about narcotics investigations. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025

Comments The private investigator cracked the case. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Feb. 2025

Now, to be clear, NGN has stressed that none of its staff at The Sun, which is still around today, were ever involved in any unlawful activities, only private investigators. —Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for <span class="syl">private investigator</span>

• accelerator
• accumulator
• adjudicator
• administrator
• appropriator
• articulator
• attenuator
• bronchodilator
• collaborator
• communicator
• conciliator
• cooperator

Kids Definition

private investigator

noun

: a person who does detective work and is not a member of a police force

Legal Definition

private investigator

noun

: a person not a member of a police force who is licensed to do detective work (as investigation of suspected wrongdoing or searching for missing persons)