detective

detective

noun

Definition of DETECTIVE

a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons <the code used by the serial killer in his letters to the police was actually cracked by an amateur detective>

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

Related Words shadow, tail, tracer, tracker; fed, Federal, G-man, narc (or nark) [slang], plainclothesman