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
As part of its probe, the U.S. is trying to extradite an Israeli private investigator named Amit Forlit from the United Kingdom for allegedly orchestrating the hacking campaign.
—
Michael Copley, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
In Sugar, which premiered last April, Colin Farrell plays a movie-loving Los Angeles private investigator who is also — final spoiler warning — an alien.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
The Duke of Sussex accused The Sun of using a private investigator to illegally obtaining Meghan's call records and flight details at the start of their relationship in 2016.
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
The Duke of Sussex's trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, centers on allegations of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators.
—Erin Hill, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for private investigator 
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Michael Copley, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
In Sugar, which premiered last April, Colin Farrell plays a movie-loving Los Angeles private investigator who is also — final spoiler warning — an alien.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
The Duke of Sussex accused The Sun of using a private investigator to illegally obtaining Meghan's call records and flight details at the start of their relationship in 2016.
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
The Duke of Sussex's trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, centers on allegations of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators.
—Erin Hill, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for private investigator
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 10 Feb. 2025.
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