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
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
The Duke of Sussex alleges that he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for News Group Newspapers (NGN) titles The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, which closed in 2011.
—
Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2024
The newspaper's lawyers argue a key private investigator used in Harry's case has since retracted his allegations.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
The private investigator learned that Maffett had purchased a storage unit at the Public Storage complex and might have been living out of it, according to police.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2024
Among the episodes: a six-figure payment for a major scoop; planting a junior reporter in a government job to secure secret documents; and relying on a private investigator who used subterfuge to secure private documents from their computers and phones.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for private investigator 
Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2024
The newspaper's lawyers argue a key private investigator used in Harry's case has since retracted his allegations.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
The private investigator learned that Maffett had purchased a storage unit at the Public Storage complex and might have been living out of it, according to police.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2024
Among the episodes: a six-figure payment for a major scoop; planting a junior reporter in a government job to secure secret documents; and relying on a private investigator who used subterfuge to secure private documents from their computers and phones.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for private investigator
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'private investigator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near private investigator
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20investigator. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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