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

During one of the conversations, Marchese said Walshe told him his mother wanted to hire a private investigator. —Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 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

Speaking in court on Thursday, Proctor’s barrister said the producer hired a private investigator to attach the tracker to the car of Holt’s partner. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Nov. 2025

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)