PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does private investigator mean? 

• PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR (noun)
  The noun PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR has 1 sense:

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

  Familiarity information: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR (noun)

Meaning:

Someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

private detective; private eye; private investigator; shamus; sherlock; operative; PI

Hypernyms ("private investigator" is a kind of...):

detective (an investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "private investigator"):

hotel detective; house detective; house dick (a private detective employed by a hotel or retail store)

inquiry agent (a private detective)

store detective (a private detective employed by a merchant to stop pilferage)