detective

American  

[dih-tek-tiv] / dɪˈtɛk tɪv /

noun

• detectives
  plural

1. a member of the police force or a private investigator whose function is to obtain information and evidence, as of offenses against the law.

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adjective

1. of or relating to detection or detectives.

   a detective story.

2. serving to detect; detecting.

   various detective devices.

detective British  

/ dɪˈtɛktɪv /

noun

1. 1. a police officer who investigates crimes

   2. See private detective

   3. ( as modifier )

      a detective story

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adjective

1. used in or serving for detection

2. serving to detect

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• detectives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of detective

First recorded in 1830–40; detect + -ive

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

detective detectives

Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective tales “combined a sense of immediate novelty with a reassuring regularity of form.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Mr. Wainwright gives a vastly more serious, even grim, portrayal of the maverick Parisian detective, but he is granted humanity by his supporting cast, including my favorite, James Northcote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

When the Beverly Hills detective spotted Lavie at the restaurant without her ankle monitor, the warrant says, he reached out to officials who confirmed Lavie’s monitor showed her location at the nearby Peninsula Hotel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

The revelation inspired a small genre of internet consumer detective work.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

But now that I was living with Aunt Kitty, well, I was doing my own detective work.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Cobb County Police Department detectives and the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s office, which oversees amusement parks in the state, are investigating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

He announced other measures including the appointment of a dedicated staff member to support individuals reporting sexual misconduct, and inviting specialized New York State Police detectives to probe future sexual assault allegations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

She told detectives she left the puppy at a park because it had been annoying her boyfriend by biting on his shoes and belongings, according to department spokesperson Natalie Garcia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The court heard the woman reported the alleged incident several years later after Ritter's phone was examined by detectives following an "unrelated matter" that ended with no charges being brought.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

From New York City came an offer of help, twelve hours after Stanton had asked its chief of police to send his finest detectives to Washington to help track the president’s killer.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

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Related Words

• agent
• informer
• police officer
• private eye
• private investigator
• prosecutor
• reporter
• sleuth
• spy

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