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)
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
David, 57, is starring in the new series, which reimagines the original show, which starred James Garner as Jim Rockford, an ex-convict who was falsely convicted of a crime and becomes a private investigator.
—
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
But when one of them is murdered, private investigator Aubrey Merritt and her assistant Olivia Blunt must unravel decades of secrets and fractured loyalties to uncover the killer.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
Hackman plays a chess-loving private investigator tasked with finding the 16-year-old daughter (Melanie Griffith, in her film debut) of a fading actress.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Citizens, private investigators, family and media have over the years requested crime and autopsy reports related to the case from Weatherford police — only to be met with persistent denials, according to records obtained by the Star-Telegram.
—Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
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Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
But when one of them is murdered, private investigator Aubrey Merritt and her assistant Olivia Blunt must unravel decades of secrets and fractured loyalties to uncover the killer.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
Hackman plays a chess-loving private investigator tasked with finding the 16-year-old daughter (Melanie Griffith, in her film debut) of a fading actress.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Citizens, private investigators, family and media have over the years requested crime and autopsy reports related to the case from Weatherford police — only to be met with persistent denials, according to records obtained by the Star-Telegram.
—Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20investigator. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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