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.
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 Then a character actor who plays a private investigator blew us all out of the water on the first take, just completely out-acting us all! — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026 But private investigators hired to recover the Cadillac began tracking it. — Steve Fisher special Correspondent follow, Los Angeles Times, 11 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 21 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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