private investigator

noun
UK: /ˈpraɪ.vət ɪnˌvɛstɪˈɡeɪ.tər/
US: /ˈpraɪ.vət ɪnˌves.təˌɡeɪ.t̬ɚ/

  1. A person whose job is to find information about people or things, often for a lawyer or someone involved in a legal case.

    1. The private investigator followed the suspect.
    2. The company hired a private investigator to look into the employee's background before offering him the job.

  2. A detective who is not a member of the police force and is hired by private individuals or organizations to investigate matters.

    1. She hired a private investigator to find her missing cat.
    2. The lawyer employed a private investigator to gather evidence for the upcoming trial about fraud.

Synonyms

investigator gumshoe pi sleuth private detective

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "private investigator" in English means: A person whose job is to find information about people or things, often for a lawyer or someone involved in a legal case., A detective who is not a member of the police force and is hired by private individuals or organizations to investigate matters..

The phonetic transcription of "private investigator" is /ˈpraɪ.vət ɪnˌvɛstɪˈɡeɪ.tər/ in British English and /ˈpraɪ.vət ɪnˌves.təˌɡeɪ.t̬ɚ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "private investigator": investigator, gumshoe, pi, sleuth, private detective.

Example usage of "private investigator": "The private investigator followed the suspect.". More examples on the page.