private detective

See synonyms for private detective on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a detective who is not a member of an official force but is employed by private parties.

Origin of private detective

1
First recorded in 1865–70

Words Nearby private detective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use private detective in a sentence

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 inquiries: Also called: private investigator

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