detective

[dih-tek-tiv] / dɪˈtɛk tɪv /

NOUN

investigator of crime

Synonyms

STRONGEST

agent informer police officer private eye private investigator prosecutor reporter sleuth spy

STRONG

analyst bloodhound bull constable cop dick eavesdropper eye fed fink flatfoot gumshoe nark peeper roper scout sergeant shadow shamus shoofly snoop tail

WEAK

P.I. Sherlock Holmes bird dog plainclothes officer slewfoot

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.

Grandfather, who puffs on Gauloises cigarettes, resembles Baroness Orczy’s Old Man in the Corner, an armchair detective who solves crimes from the confines of a London tea shop.

From The Wall Street Journal

It has also resulted in a legal claim against the department by the widow of one detective.

From Los Angeles Times

The police watchdog said that a former detective constable could face gross misconduct proceedings - relating to alleged failures to properly investigate - and that two former detective sergeants were being investigated for alleged misconduct.

From BBC

That master of detective stories, Raymond Chandler, described the crime scene in 1953, in “The Long Goodbye”:

From Los Angeles Times

Lemus, a 40-year-old father of three, comes from a family of Sheriff’s Department employees, including his wife, a detective, and his sisters, who are sergeants.

From Los Angeles Times

detective

Example Sentences

Related Words