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
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.
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
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
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.
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
Cite this Entry
“Investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigator. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share