private investigator
Americannoun
-
private investigators
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of private investigator
First recorded in 1935–40
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.
Though Derek makes his living as a private investigator, he’s still loyal to the policeman’s vow to protect and to serve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
And that was so shocking that the Chicago Cubs even hired a private investigator to see if late-night carousing was the source of Wilson’s woes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"When I was growing up, I dreamed about becoming a private investigator," she said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
The turning point came late in 2023 when the brothers decided to hire a private investigator called Haris Veramon who worked with his colleague Nikos Arkoulis.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
“He’s a private investigator attached to the staff of my office. ...”
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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.
