private investigator
noun
: a person not a member of a police force who is licensed to do detective work (such as investigation of suspected wrongdoing or searching for missing persons)
Examples of private investigator in a Sentence
She hired a private investigator to follow her husband.
the retired policeman decided to become a private investigator
Recent Examples on the Web
Court filings show Black discussed Ganieva's deal with two people, Epstein and a private investigator.
—
Graham Kates, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
For this third installment in the series, released exclusively on Netflix, Johnson and his trusted private investigator, Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, faced a unique challenge.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
The posters — shown in both black and white and color (below), because the series will also be available in both — introduce Cage as Ben, an aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
Fisher, a private investigator, could not afford a criminal mark that jeopardize his license.
—Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
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Graham Kates, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
For this third installment in the series, released exclusively on Netflix, Johnson and his trusted private investigator, Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, faced a unique challenge.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
The posters — shown in both black and white and color (below), because the series will also be available in both — introduce Cage as Ben, an aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
Fisher, a private investigator, could not afford a criminal mark that jeopardize his license.
—Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20investigator. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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