investigator
Britishnoun
Explanation
Every crime novel has an investigator, someone whose job it is to discover the truth. Not all investigators solve crimes, but to be an investigator you need to work hard to figure things out. A private investigator knocks at your door. Do you let him in? He probably only wants to ask questions, because that’s what investigators do: they research. Scientists are investigators, so are police officers, and even your friend who reads lots of books about butterflies can be considered an investigator. Rooted in the Latin word vestigare, meaning “trace out,” investigators gather facts in order to trace out the whole picture.
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.
The study was led by Ai-Ling Lin, a professor in the university's School of Medicine and an investigator at the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
A prosecutor obtains it by presenting to a federal magistrate judge a probable-cause affidavit signed by an investigator.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
Panicked, one scammer drafted a formal letter, denying any knowledge of illegal activity and pledging to help the investigator any way he could.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Authorities feared Ravatomanga might disappear "like Carlos Ghosn", said one investigator, referring to the fugitive former Renault-Nissan chief.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Despite hiring an investigator, spending thousands of francs, and poring through reams of German documentation, Marie-Laure and Etienne were never able to determine what exactly happened to her father.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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