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

His mother, Wendy O’Connor, filed a missing persons report, and Love hired a private investigator to locate the musician. — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026

The trailer, released Friday morning, kicks off with Backo’s Carson, a local detective, and Reid’s Rapp, a private investigator, looking into the disappearance of Henry Park (Williams). — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026

During the test, two private investigators were hired to conduct surveillance on Hogan. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

The series follows Rapp (Noah Reid), a private investigator who arrives in the small coastal town of Whittock, to investigate the disappearance of a young heir to a powerful fishery, Henry Park (Williams). — Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 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)