Definition

1. Noun:
   • A private detective employed by a hotel or retail store: A security professional hired directly by a business, such as a hotel or large shop, to prevent theft, investigate internal incidents, and ensure the safety of guests, customers, and property. This person is not a public police officer but works specifically for that establishment.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The hotel manager called the house detective to investigate the missing jewelry.
  • Store security alerted the house detective after noticing suspicious behavior at the perfume counter.

Advanced Usage

• The role of a house detective often involves both plainclothes surveillance and uniformed presence to deter crime.
• While historically common in large hotels and department stores, the term is sometimes used interchangeably with modern titles like loss prevention officer or in-house security investigator.

Variants and Related Words

• House detective is a compound noun. The word detective alone refers to any investigator, especially one who solves crimes.
• Security guard (n): A person employed to protect property and people, but this role may not involve investigative duties.
• Loss prevention agent (n): A modern term, especially in retail, for a professional who works to prevent theft and investigate losses.

Synonyms

• Hotel detective
• Store detective
• Private investigator (a more general term for a privately-employed detective)

Related Phrases

• In-house security: Refers to a security team employed directly by an organization, as opposed to a contracted service. A house detective is a member of the in-house security staff.
• Plainclothes officer: A security or police officer who wears ordinary clothes instead of a uniform. A house detective typically works in plainclothes.

Noun

1. a private detective employed by a hotel or retail store