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)
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 police worked to figure that out, Allison’s family hired a private investigator named Marc Benson, who received an email from a woman named Susan Iannone.
—
Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 6 July 2025
Fort Worth Police Department officers went about 4 p.m. Wednesday to the 3300 block of East Belknap Street to help a private investigator who was attempting to arrest Pardue.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2025
After Swaggart accused Gorman of adultery, Gorman hired a private investigator who followed Swaggart and took the photographs in New Orleans that ignited the scandal.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 1 July 2025
Kevin had preserved enough savings to hire a private investigator, John Powers of Hudson Intelligence, to follow the financial trail.
—Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
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Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 6 July 2025
Fort Worth Police Department officers went about 4 p.m. Wednesday to the 3300 block of East Belknap Street to help a private investigator who was attempting to arrest Pardue.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2025
After Swaggart accused Gorman of adultery, Gorman hired a private investigator who followed Swaggart and took the photographs in New Orleans that ignited the scandal.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 1 July 2025
Kevin had preserved enough savings to hire a private investigator, John Powers of Hudson Intelligence, to follow the financial trail.
—Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for private investigator
Cite this Entry
“Private investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20investigator. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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