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

Forensic investigative genetic genealogy has emerged as a powerful tool in cold cases, allowing investigators to trace family connections from DNA evidence and identify people who may otherwise have remained unknown. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

For the past 36 years, investigators have worked with two goals in mind. — Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026

The suitcase traveled from Frankfurt to London, where it was loaded onto Flight 103, according to investigators. — CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

When federal authorities announced the case in 2022, investigators said Jacobsen may have been in contact with as many as 175 potential victims through Snapchat. — Dean J. Condoleo, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 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