private detective
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of private detective
First recorded in 1865–70
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.
It is the first of five novels starring Neal Carey: “a graduate student who, much like me,” the author wrote, “was too busy making a living as a private detective to finish his degree.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
A private detective, Auguste Bell, arrives to solve the crime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
She said a private detective hired by the family found no criminal records for a person named Paramjit Singh in the state, suggesting authorities may have mistaken him for someone else.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2025
Marten's family also hired a private detective to find her.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2025
This private detective is the creation of San Francisco’s own literary son, Dashiell Hammett, and appeared in his novel The Maltese Falcon, as well as three short stories.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
