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private detective

SEE SYNONYMS FOR private detective ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste.
a frequent or habitual visitor to a place.
a lazy person who stays in bed long after the usual time for arising.
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Also called private investigator.

Origin of private detective

First recorded in 1865–70

Words nearby private detective

private, private bar, private bill, private brand, private company, private detective, private duty nurse, private enterprise, private equity, private equity fund, private eye
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to private detective

detective, gumshoe, sleuth, eye, inspector, investigator, operative, PI, beagle, dick, flatfoot, sleuthhound, spotter, tec

British Dictionary definitions for private detective

private detective

noun

an individual privately employed to investigate a crime, keep watch on a suspected person, or make other inquiriesAlso 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