detective
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a police officer whose job is to find information and solve crimes.
n.a police officer assigned to investigate crimes and gather evidence for prosecution.
Simple“The detective arrived at the house to look for fingerprints and talk to witnesses.”
In context“The lead detective spent weeks reviewing the forensic evidence before making a formal arrest in the high-profile case.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a person you hire to find out secret information for you.
n.a private individual hired to conduct investigations or surveillance on behalf of a client.
Simple“She hired a private detective to find her missing brother.”
In context“The private detective provided the client with a detailed report regarding the subject's movements over the previous weekend.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.used to describe work or stories about solving crimes.
adj.relating to the work of a detective or the process of investigation.
Simple“I love reading detective novels because I like trying to guess who did it.”
In context“The author is famous for her intricate detective fiction, which often features a brilliant but eccentric protagonist.”
Synonyms
Usage detective work
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.