investigator

noun

in·​ves·​ti·​ga·​tor in-ˈve-stə-ˌgā-tər How to pronounce investigator (audio)
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.

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
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.
Vital witnesses were killed in the blast All 16 people inside the facility died in the blast, leaving behind a devastated network of coworkers and loved ones as well as depriving investigators of crucial accounts of the final moments leading up to the explosion. Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025 Their bodies had been moved into nearby brush to conceal them, investigators said. Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Ashley Joachim Tellis, an unpaid State Department senior adviser, is facing a felony charge of unlawful retention of national defense information after investigators found more than 1,000 pages of top secret or secret documents at his home Saturday in Vienna, Virginia. Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 Prosecutors’ June 25 witness list spans 180 names, from investigators and forensic experts to victims’ relatives, and notably includes Kohberger’s sister, Amanda. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for investigator

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of investigator was in 1538

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Cite this Entry

“Investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigator. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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