private investigator

noun

Synonyms of private investigatornext
: 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 of private investigator

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
New details were released Tuesday about the death of Heather Turner, as a private investigator hired by her family publicly refuted local law enforcement's official ruling of suicide. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Henry’s family are concerned enough to have sent in their own smarmy private investigator, Rapp (Noah Reid), though not quite concerned enough to cut short their own business trip to Japan. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 The mother who police say killed her husband and their 3-year-old son at Great Wolf Lodge could face the death penalty, according to a private investigator. — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Goor and Del Tredici are gearing up to debut their next NBC sitcom, a single-camera workplace comedy starring Jake Johnson as a cynical detective working at a past-its-prime private investigator agency in Hollywood. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for private investigator

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of private investigator was in 1940

Rhymes for private investigator

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Browse Nearby Words

private insurance
private investigator
private joke
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Cite this Entry

“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20investigator. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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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)
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