investigator

noun

in·​ves·​ti·​ga·​tor in-ˈve-stə-ˌgā-tər 

plural investigators

: one who investigates something: such as

a

: detective

a private investigator

Debra Winger plays the investigator who becomes fixated on identifying a killer …

—Margaret Rauch

b

: a person who conducts experiments or is involved in scientific studies for research

the lead investigator in a clinical trial

For dialect recording, it is best for the investigator to take down as full and accurate notes as possible without slowing down the pace of the interview.

—Ravin I. McDavid, Jr.

Synonyms

• experimenter
• researcher

Examples of investigator in a Sentence

investigators who discovered new evidence that the universe was much older than had been previously estimated

the investigator in charge of the case was touted as an expert at tracing stolen art

Recent Examples on the Web

The original investigators may have worried about that, too. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 4 Sep. 2024

According to the new filing, investigators also gained access to his Gmail account. —Adam Tamburin, Axios, 4 Sep. 2024

As investigators continue to comb through the evidence, prosecutors have 48 hours from the time of the suspect’s arrest to announce any charges. —Cheri Mossburg, CNN, 3 Sep. 2024

No Marines were detained, and those involved in the incident are cooperating with investigators. —Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing investigator

• co-investigator
• private investigator