private detective

noun

Synonyms of private detectivenext

Examples of private detective in a Sentence

when the police insisted that it was an accident and not murder, she hired a private detective
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 book introduced readers to Easy Rawlins, a private detective in mid-20th-century Watts who would go on to figure into more than 15 novels (and counting). Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 25 June 2026 The stylistic eccentricities have been dialed back, including the use of old Hollywood film clips to reflect the action and possibly the thoughts of its main character, a cinephile from space, who is both practicing and enacting the work of a private detective. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 William Hopper’s Paul Drake assisted as Mason’s go-to private detective with a knack for finding the evidence Mason and his clients needed. Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 Meanwhile, private detectives probed Hadley’s vulnerabilities as a witness. Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for private detective

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of private detective was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20detective. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

private detective

noun

Legal Definition

private detective

noun
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