private investigator
noun
: a person not a member of a police force who is licensed to do detective work (such as investigation of suspected wrongdoing or searching for missing persons)
Synonyms
Examples of private investigator in a Sentence
She hired a private investigator to follow her husband.
the retired policeman decided to become a private investigator
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2010, at The Sunday Times, Newell hired a private investigator named John Ford to secure a copy of Blair’s memoir ahead of its release.
—
David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 June 2024
Kathy Griffin Turns to Friend Jane Fonda for Support amid Divorce: 'My Heart Is Broken'
Back in March, the Suddenly Susan star hired a private investigator to serve Bick with divorce papers after his whereabouts could not be located.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
Hilary Bidwell, Weinberg’s ex-wife who was going through a divorce from him at the time, saw the post and later hired a private investigator to find others with allegations.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 May 2024
The series is based on reporting done in 2018 by Scott Johnson of The Hollywood Reporter, who teamed with private investigator Nicole Kotsianas to unmask an enigma known as the Hollywood Con Queen.
—Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for private investigator 
David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 June 2024
Kathy Griffin Turns to Friend Jane Fonda for Support amid Divorce: 'My Heart Is Broken'
Back in March, the Suddenly Susan star hired a private investigator to serve Bick with divorce papers after his whereabouts could not be located.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
Hilary Bidwell, Weinberg’s ex-wife who was going through a divorce from him at the time, saw the post and later hired a private investigator to find others with allegations.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 May 2024
The series is based on reporting done in 2018 by Scott Johnson of The Hollywood Reporter, who teamed with private investigator Nicole Kotsianas to unmask an enigma known as the Hollywood Con Queen.
—Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for private investigator
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'private investigator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near private investigator
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20investigator. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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