detective

1 of 2

adjective

de·​tec·​tive di-ˈtek-tiv How to pronounce detective (audio)
1
: fitted for or used in detecting something
had perfected his detective sensibilities
2
: of or relating to detectives or their work
a detective novel
detectivelike adjective

detective

2 of 2

noun

: one employed or engaged in detecting lawbreakers or in getting information that is not readily or publicly accessible

Examples of detective in a Sentence

Adjective We had to do some detective work to find out who used to own the property. He enjoys reading detective novels. Noun She is a detective on the police force. Detective Sgt. Lee is working on the case. She hired a detective to follow her husband.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Book said in his clue package that featured an Animals 101 book, a detective badge, a ghost and an open mic night sign. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now There are also tons of other shows that Night Country fans will love, from detective dramas to paranormal frights, shows set in the far north, and more. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 Krell got lucky with that bit of detective work and found Patricia’s son. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Peter Capaldi fills Daniel Hegarty, a detective chief inspector, not with the leather-jacket intensity of most police dramas but with a patient, scary wisdom. Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 That’s a Wrap As a forthcoming report by the House Foreign Affairs Committee lays out, the story is straight out of a detective novel: A top-level executive is accused of verbally harassing staff, mismanaging public funds, and lying about educational credentials from an elite European university. Michael McCaul, National Review, 7 Feb. 2024 For more than a decade, she is hunted down by detective Priyonath Mukhopadhyay. Patrick Frater, Variety, 2 Feb. 2024 In Merlo’s delirious play—staged by the director Jack Serio with the audience seated at a long table in a pitch-dark room—a genderqueer teen is missing, and their detective father is on the case. The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2024 In this lively second outing, teenage sleuth Enola Holmes opens a detective agency but struggles to build a clientele in the shadow of her famous older brother Sherlock. Danny Horn, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2024
Noun
Chandler detectives believed the shooting occurred between two groups that knew each other and was an isolated incident, but that no suspect had been identified. The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024 Crime novelists have a history of growing weary of their detectives. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 Most powerfully, a police detective describes the events in detail, along the way painstakingly and heart-breakingly making sure to recite the names of each and every one of the 26 victims, both adults and children. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 In February 2017, an LAPD detective went to visit Monica at her home. Gabriella Demirdjian, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2024 Decatur said Stafford County detectives followed up on the family and narrowed their focus to Elroy Harrison. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives had already arrested 48-year-old Pauline Macareno in June 2022 on suspicion of elder abuse and fraud. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The detective assigned to the case, and the state attorney handling the case, did not respond for comment in time for publication. Caroline Haskins, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2024 Among other things, detectives never talked to Joe Swanson, the dummy manufacturer whose initials — JS — appeared on the side of the dummy box found on set. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detective.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of detective was in 1732

Dictionary Entries Near detective

Cite this Entry

“Detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detective. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

detective

1 of 2 adjective
de·​tec·​tive di-ˈtek-tiv How to pronounce detective (audio)
: of or relating to detectives or their work
a detective story

detective

2 of 2 noun
: a person whose business is solving crimes and catching criminals or gathering information that is not easy to get

Legal Definition

detective

noun
de·​tec·​tive
: a person engaged or employed in detecting lawbreakers or in getting information that is not readily or publicly accessible
a police detective
hired a private detective

More from Merriam-Webster on detective

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