investigator
noun
in·ves·ti·ga·tor
in-ˈve-stə-ˌgā-tər 
plural investigators
: one who investigates something: such as
a
: detective
a private investigator
Debra Winger plays the investigator who becomes fixated on identifying a killer …—
Margaret Rauch
Margaret Rauch
b
: a person who conducts experiments or is involved in scientific studies for research
the lead investigator in a clinical trial
For dialect recording, it is best for the investigator to take down as full and accurate notes as possible without slowing down the pace of the interview.—Ravin I. McDavid, Jr.
Ravin I. McDavid, Jr.
Examples of investigator in a Sentence
investigators who discovered new evidence that the universe was much older than had been previously estimated
the investigator in charge of the case was touted as an expert at tracing stolen art
Recent Examples on the Web
The informant told investigators Melo planned to smuggle drugs onto the cruise.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
There, investigators said the officers were met by a 16-year-old male and a 15-year-old female.
—Alexa Ashwell, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2025
Eleven fire departments from surrounding regions responded to the blaze, which investigators determined was arson, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2025
The forum is dominated by anonymous posts about would-be applicants complaining about waiting months to hear back from background investigators.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for investigator 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
There, investigators said the officers were met by a 16-year-old male and a 15-year-old female.
—Alexa Ashwell, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2025
Eleven fire departments from surrounding regions responded to the blaze, which investigators determined was arson, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2025
The forum is dominated by anonymous posts about would-be applicants complaining about waiting months to hear back from background investigators.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for investigator
Dictionary Entries Near investigator
Cite this Entry
“Investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigator. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share