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private detective

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noun
  1. a detective who is not a member of an official force but is employed by private parties.
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Origin of private detective

First recorded in 1865–70
Also called private investigator.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for private detective

private detective

noun
  1. an individual privately employed to investigate a crime, keep watch on a suspected person, or make other inquiriesAlso called: private investigator
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012