detective
n. · adj.-
1 police investigator (n.) A2 Elementary Lawa police officer whose job is to find information and solve crimes.
a police officer assigned to investigate crimes and gather evidence for prosecution.
ExampleThe detective arrived at the house to look for fingerprints and talk to witnesses.
ExampleThe lead detective spent weeks reviewing the forensic evidence before making a formal arrest in the high-profile case.
-
2 private investigator (n.) B1 Intermediatea person you hire to find out secret information for you.
a private individual hired to conduct investigations or surveillance on behalf of a client.
ExampleShe hired a private detective to find her missing brother.
ExampleThe private detective provided the client with a detailed report regarding the subject's movements over the previous weekend.
- private eye
- PI
Show 1 more senseShow fewer
-
3 related to investigation (adj.) B1 Intermediateused to describe work or stories about solving crimes.
relating to the work of a detective or the process of investigation.
ExampleI love reading detective novels because I like trying to guess who did it.
ExampleThe author is famous for her intricate detective fiction, which often features a brilliant but eccentric protagonist.
The adjective is from Classical Latin dētēct-, past participial stem of dētegō (“to detect”), + -ive. The noun is an ellipsis of detective policeman, detective officer, or a similar construction.