Definition

Noun: A person who is hired to conduct investigations, gather information, and collect evidence, typically for private clients rather than as a member of a public police force.

Usage

A private investigator is a professional who is licensed to perform investigative work. They are often hired by individuals, attorneys, or companies to look into matters such as suspected infidelity, missing persons, background checks, or fraud. Their work involves surveillance, research, and interviews.

Examples

• The lawyer hired a private investigator to find witnesses for the case.
• She suspected her business partner was stealing, so she consulted a private investigator.
• Private investigators must often work discreetly to avoid alerting their subjects.

Advanced Usage

• "To work as a private investigator": To have the job of a private detective.
  • After leaving the police force, he decided to work as a private investigator.
• "To hire/retain a private investigator": To employ the services of a private detective.
  • The family retained a private investigator to search for their missing relative.

Variants and Related Words

• Private detective (n): A direct synonym for private investigator.
• PI (n): A common abbreviation for "private investigator."
• Private eye (n): An informal, colloquial term for a private investigator.
• Sleuth (n): A general, sometimes informal term for a detective or investigator.

Synonyms

• Detective
• Inquiry agent
• Operative (informal in this context)

Related Phrases

• To put a private investigator on someone/something: To instruct a private investigator to investigate a specific person or matter.
  • The company put a private investigator on the case of the industrial espionage.

Noun

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