private detective

noun

Examples of private detective in a Sentence

when the police insisted that it was an accident and not murder, she hired a private detective
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jacobson played the scheming private detective Erin Jones in 22 episodes of Falcon Crest from 1985-87, the CBS primetime soap about a wealthy California wine family. Zoe G. Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Dec. 2024 Created by Michael Schur, the series follows Charles, a widower and retiree, who is hired by a private detective named Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) and goes undercover at a local San Francisco nursing home to solve a theft. Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024 The film’s most enduring legacy, however, is the Dude, a mythic American hero no less than the private detective or the cowboy. airmail.news, 12 Oct. 2024 Colorado private detective Ollie Gray and his partner, John Sangustin, were hired by the Ramseys in 1999. Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for private detective 

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of private detective was in 1861

Dictionary Entries Near private detective

Cite this Entry

“Private detective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20detective. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

private detective

noun

Legal Definition

private detective

noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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