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View synonyms for

private detective

noun

  1. a detective who is not a member of an official force but is employed by private parties.



private detective

noun

  1. Also called: private investigator.an individual privately employed to investigate a crime, keep watch on a suspected person, or make other inquiries

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of private detective1

First recorded in 1865–70
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Wearing a blue shirt and a peach headwrap, he told the jury that private detectives hired by Marten's family were following them and observing them.

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She said her family had hired two firms of private detectives and she felt it was "like a cat and mouse game".

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Directed by Arthur Penn, who had previously worked with the actor on his breakthrough role in “Bonnie and Clyde,” Hackman plays Harry Moseby, a former pro football player turned L.A. private detective.

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A private detective finally found Madrigal living in Las Vegas with her oldest son, Oren, who didn’t learn about his mother’s tragic, historic past until answering the researcher’s call.

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After the alleged extortion started, Huang said, he hired an attorney and a private detective and began surreptitiously recording conversations with the defendants.

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private companyprivate enterprise