private detective

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Word: Private Detective

Definition: A private detective is a person who is hired to investigate and gather information about different situations or people. They often work for individuals, businesses, or lawyers, rather than for the police or government.

Usage Instructions:

• Part of Speech: Noun
• Pronunciation: /ˈpraɪ.vɪt dɪˈtɛk.tɪv/
• Context: You can use "private detective" when talking about someone who does investigations, like solving mysteries or finding missing people.

Example Sentence:

• "She hired a private detective to find her lost cat."

Advanced Usage:

• In a more complex sentence, you might say: "The private detective utilized advanced surveillance techniques to uncover the truth behind the missing funds."

Word Variants:

• Private Investigation (noun): The act of investigating privately.
• Private Investigator (noun): Another term for a private detective, often used interchangeably.

Different Meanings:

• The term "detective" can also refer to a police officer whose job is to investigate crimes, but a "private detective" is not a government employee and usually works independently.

Synonyms:

• Private investigator
• Sleuth
• P.I. (abbreviation for Private Investigator)
• Gumshoe (informal term)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "private detective," but you might hear phrases like:
  • "Sleuthing around" – means to investigate or search for information, often in a sneaky way.
  • "Digging up dirt" – means to find out negative or secret information about someone.

Summary:

A private detective is someone you can hire to investigate problems or gather information. They are like detectives but work independently from the police.

Academic

Noun

1. someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

Synonyms

• PI
• private eye
• private investigator
• operative
• shamus
• sherlock