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 of investigator

• 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

Teare said Monday that his office has issued nearly 20 subpoenas for evidence and witness testimony and that federal officials are not sharing evidence with investigators. — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

According to investigators, Maldonado drove her daughter from their apartment on West 28th Street to the home of the girl's great-grandmother. — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 14 July 2026

But patients also need confidence that review standards will not shift unpredictably after sponsors and investigators have designed trials in consultation with the agency. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 14 July 2026

Gerardo Salcedo, the son of the business owner, told ABC7 that investigators had obtained surveillance video that showed a man on a bicycle putting a bottle through the mail slot minutes before the fire ignited. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing investigator

• co-investigator
• private investigator

Rhymes for investigator

• accelerator
• accumulator
• adjudicator
• administrator
• appropriator
• articulator
• attenuator
• bronchodilator
• collaborator
• communicator
• conciliator
• cooperator