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Showing results for private detective. Search instead for meisterdetektive.
Definitions

private detective

NOUN
detective employed by private parties
Synonyms
STRONGEST
detective gumshoe private eye private investigator sleuth
WEAK
P.I. Sherlock Holmes beagle dick flatfoot inquiry agent inspector investigator operative private dick skip tracer sleuthhound spotter tec

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Claude, meanwhile, having left the police to become a private detective, is obsessed with solving a string of related wartime murders, including that of Huguette’s father.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

The move was recommended by the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel report, which looked at the force's handling of the unsolved murder of private detective Daniel Morgan.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2025

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2024

Both articles were produced during a period when the newspaper has acknowledged paying the private detective explicitly to obtain material surreptitiously.

From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2024

It was one of the best known and most reputable private detective agencies in New York.

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie