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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary Review, Unit 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
"My mum was like, 'ooh, you've got a detective coming to speak to you, you're in a lot of trouble'," Lucas said.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The detective said Berk was correct both times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
"I think that explains a lot about where I ended up. I do feel like a detective."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
Most writers of detective stories trick us by withholding or muddling the one clue that explains everything; Chesterton is so fun that you won’t even care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Jonah was getting annoyed with their little junior detective routine.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
By the time Blake went on trial, nearly a decade had passed since Simpson’s acquittal for double homicide, but for prosecutors and detectives, the humiliation was fresh.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Essex Police has urged any witnesses to come forward as its detectives piece together what happened.
From BBC ● 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
Anti-corruption detectives started working on Greer, and obtained his mobile phone number, which had previously not been held on his personnel file.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Despite all this, the private detectives somehow failed to secure enough evidence to prosecute any of the suspects, or perhaps the private eyes were bought off.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
