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

Following her retirement, Albrecht became a private investigator. —Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026

During the Season 3 finale, DA Haller questioned private investigator Neil Bishop, who admitted he was blackmailed into working for Drug Enforcement Administration agent James De Marco. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026

Police in Oklahoma found the young girl a week and a half later, Brooke Morris said, after a private investigator discovered that her image had been posted in online advertisements. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026

After his retirement from the DEA, Recio worked as a private investigator for Macey and other South Florida defense attorneys. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 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)