noun
adjective
-
used in or serving for detection
-
serving to detect
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of detective
Explanation
Whether it's a police detective who investigates crimes or a private detective hired to find a missing person, a detective is someone whose job is to find out hard-to-get information. Detective comes from the Latin root detectus meaning to uncover or expose. Detectives detect, or discern and uncover the truth, the way a dog might detect an odor and uncover a bone. Sherlock Holmes, perhaps the most famous detective in fiction, used disguises, deductive reasoning and forensics to solve crimes. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," he famously said.
Vocabulary lists containing detective
Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Syllabus
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Vocabulary Review, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Celeste replied "of course its yours David", according to testimony from a detective.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
"I think that explains a lot about where I ended up. I do feel like a detective."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
But after receiving three payments totaling $4,900, Ma tried cashing a check from Nguyen, the detective wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The student sleuths include Hannah Metcalf, a senior, who has already taken the course and wanted back in regardless of credits; her gifts as a forensic detective seem pretty advanced, but she’s a natural.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
"You girls sure do take this detective work seriously," he commented as he walked with them to the large hinged gate.
From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene
“While nothing can replace the life that was lost, the swift and focused work of our detectives resulted in the suspect being safely taken into custody.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
DC Studios will also grace Hall H to preview its HBO series "Lanterns," starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as small-town Nebraska detectives, which debuts August 16.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Earlier this week, counter terrorism police said that she was killed in a "targeted attack", adding that detectives were working to understand the motive.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
"Police exploring if attack was part of wider plot," reports the Times, citing detectives who believe the suspect "may have targeted other MPs".
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
"You girls know," she reminded them as she closed the door behind her, "that good detectives always think about their clues."
From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
