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

Maria Sten, a regular in seasons two and three of Reacher, plays the title character, a private investigator in Chicago and Jack Reacher’s former colleague in the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Mickey is a private investigator with a knack for solving cases and a former LAPD cop whose life imploded three years ago. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026

In Season 1, Sugar was hard-edged and assertive; the kind of private investigator who leads with intimidation and meets aggression with equal aggression. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

Former detective and sheriff Mike Toth, now a private investigator after years of experience in law enforcement, tells USA TODAY the Nancy Guthrie case may never be closed. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 1 Aug. 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)