noun
adjective
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used in or serving for detection
-
serving to detect
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.
Louise Penny is the author of a long-running series following Armand Gamache, a French-Canadian police detective.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Like a detective connecting with a source in a classic movie from a bygone era, Nicolas Cage met with showrunner Oren Uziel for lunch at Bottega Louie in downtown L.A. back in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
The series follows retired actor John Chapel, played by Timothy Spall, and Welsh detective Janie Mallowan, played by Gwyneth Keyworth, as they solve murders in the Welsh countryside.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
The audience was transported to the set of a classic detective film, with colorful vintage cars placed amidst the museum's stark concrete curves and moody lighting.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
They called themselves the Clue Crew and had a detective headquarters in Nancy's bedroom.
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.
