Thesaurus
Synonyms of detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
- the code used by the serial killer in his letters to the police was actually cracked by an amateur detective
Synonyms for detective
- dick,
- gumshoe,
- hawkshaw,
- investigator,
- operative,
- private detective,
- private eye,
- private investigator,
- shamus
- [slang],
- sherlock,
- sleuth,
- sleuthhound
Words Related to detective
Learn More About detective
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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Word Matters, Episode 42
Cite this Entry
“Detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detective. Accessed 4 Oct. 2022.
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Time Traveler for detective
The first known use of detective was in 1732
See more words from the same year