A detective is someone whose job is to discover what has happened in a crime or other situation and to find the people involved. Some detectives work in the police force and others work privately.
Detectives are appealing for witnesses who may have seen anything suspicious.
She hired a private detective in an attempt to find her daughter.
Synonyms: investigator, cop [slang], copper [slang], dick [slang, mainly US] More Synonyms of detective
2. title noun & vocative noun
In Britain 'detective' is used before words such as 'constable' or 'sergeant', and in the U.S. the word 'detective' is used on its own, to indicate that a police officer is a member of the department concerned with investigating crimes.
...Detective Inspector Ian Mosley.
...Detective Nardosa of the New York City Police Department.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A detective novel or story is one in which a detective tries to solve a crime.
4.
See detective work
detective in British English
(dɪˈtɛktɪv)
noun
1.
a.
a police officer who investigates crimes
b. private detective
c.
(as modifier)
a detective story
adjective
2.
used in or serving for detection
3.
serving to detect
detective in American English
(diˈtɛktɪv; dɪˈtɛktɪv)
adjective
1.
of or for detection
2.
of detectives and their work
noun
3.
a person on a police force, whose work is investigating and trying to solve crimes
4.
a person working privately to investigate crimes, gather information, etc.
Word origin
(sense 3) short for detective policeman; (sense 4) short for private detective
Examples of 'detective' in a sentence
detective
Detectives say they are keeping an open mind about the circumstances.
The Sun (2017)
Detectives say that they have been unable to ascertain how he died.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The common factor is the abysmal quality of detective work.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He uses this new-found ability to help a detective solve crimes and bring down a madcap villain.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Detective planet Pluto solves a mystery involving love and money.
The Sun (2016)
Her family is being kept informed, say detectives.
The Sun (2016)
He has been released on bail pending further inquiries, say detectives.
The Sun (2016)
How do they fare, our once starry detectives when forced into retirement?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What makes for a satisfying detective story?
Christianity Today (2000)
This detective work may mean you can avoid the cause in future.
The Sun (2008)
It concerns two detectives who attempt to crack a complex bank heist.
The Sun (2010)
We could all do a little bit more detective work on our fish.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They were brought in one by one by detectives.
Geraghty, Tony The Bullet Catchers (1989)
Detectives say the mystery car could be a vital lead.
The Sun (2011)
The supervising officer accompanied the detective to our interview.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The detective duo love working with each other.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Detectives discovered the proxy voters had been in the country after all.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The fifth is the detective working one last case before his imminent retirement.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But it took a medical detective story lasting four years to uncover this threat.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This time the pair are on the same side, playing detectives trying to solve a murder.
The Sun (2008)
And if so, can the determined detective find it now?
The Sun (2014)
Detectives are attempting to trace relatives so that they can formally confirm the couple's identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
A post mortem is due to be carried out and detectives say they are treating his death as suspicious.
The Sun (2012)
Some of the country's most notorious crimes have been solved by detectives and members of the elite squads based here.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Met Police detectives appealed for witnesses.
The Sun (2016)
Criminals are deleting all the data from their smartphones from afar after their devices are seized by police, detectives across the country have said.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
detective
British English: detective /dɪˈtɛktɪv/ NOUN
A detective is someone whose job is to discover the facts about a crime or other situation.
Detectives are still searching for the four men.
American English: detective
Arabic: مُخْبِر
Brazilian Portuguese: detetive
Chinese: 侦探
Croatian: detektiv
Czech: detektiv
Danish: detektiv
Dutch: detective
European Spanish: detective
Finnish: etsivä
French: détective
German: Kriminalbeamter
Greek: ιδιωτικός αστυνομικός
Italian: investigatore
Japanese: 刑事
Korean: 탐정
Norwegian: detektiv
Polish: detektyw
European Portuguese: detetive
Romanian: detectiv
Russian: сыщик
Latin American Spanish: detective
Swedish: kriminalare
Thai: นักสืบ
Turkish: dedektif
Ukrainian: детектив
Vietnamese: thám tử
All related terms of 'detective'
detective-like
like a detective ; having characteristics of a detective
detective novel
a novel in which a detective tries to solve a crime
detective story
a story in which a detective tries to solve a crime
detective work
If you do some detective work , you do something to find out more about a subject or situation that puzzles you.
house detective
a private detective working as for a hotel or large store to prevent disorderly conduct, theft , etc.
store detective
A store detective is someone who is employed by a shop to walk around the shop looking for people who are secretly stealing goods.
detective device
a device that detects or discovers the existence of something
detective sergeant
a police officer who investigates crime and who ranks above a detective constable but below a detective inspector
private detective
A private detective is someone who you can pay to find missing people or do other kinds of investigation for you.
detective constable
a police officer who investigates crime and who is of the lowest rank
detective inspector
a police officer who investigates crime and who ranks above a detective sergeant but below a detective chief inspector
detective superintendent
a police officer who investigates crime and who ranks above a detective chief inspector but below a detective chief superintendent
detective chief inspector
a police officer who investigates crime and who ranks above a detective inspector but below a detective superintendent
detective chief superintendent
a police officer who investigates crime and who ranks above a detective superintendent but below an assistant chief constable