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)

Synonyms of private investigator

• detective
• investigator
• private detective
• private eye

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

An ultra-Orthodox private investigator named Avi Lehrer called Shraga and claimed to have bank records showing that Netanyahu and his family held millions of dollars in offshore accounts. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

The suit says Columbia retaliated instead of investigating, branding events as security risks, tightening discipline to deter criticism of Israel, and surveilling students with private investigators monitoring Khalil and his campus group. — Sudhin Thanawala, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Instead of being someone who attracts trouble like Jack Reacher, Neagley is a private investigator who chooses her battles. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026

The Houston native debuted as private investigator Kelly Garrett in 1976, starring alongside Fawcett as Jill Munroe and Kate Jackson as Sabrina Duncan. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for private investigator

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

Kids Definition

private investigator

noun

: a person who does detective work and is not a member of a police force

Legal Definition

private investigator

noun

: a person not a member of a police force who is licensed to do detective work (as investigation of suspected wrongdoing or searching for missing persons)