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
In the premiere of Down Cemetery Road, a desperate woman walks into a private investigator’s office.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Thompson plays Zoë Boehm, a private investigator every bit as spiky as her pixie cut.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
Dominick opened up in 2007 to Slate about hiring a private investigator to track down Sweeney, who moved to the Pacific Northwest and changed his name to John Maura.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Adding to the chaos are constant calls from his manager and the presence of a private investigator and a superfan stalking nearby.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
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Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Thompson plays Zoë Boehm, a private investigator every bit as spiky as her pixie cut.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
Dominick opened up in 2007 to Slate about hiring a private investigator to track down Sweeney, who moved to the Pacific Northwest and changed his name to John Maura.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Adding to the chaos are constant calls from his manager and the presence of a private investigator and a superfan stalking nearby.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
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 1 Nov. 2025.
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