Meanings
nounprivate detective (plural private detectives)
plural private detectives
- Person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
So you're a private detective? I didn't know they existed, except in books, or else they were greasy little men snooping around hotel corridors.
1946, The Big Sleep (motion picture), spoken by Vivian (Lauren Bacall)Synonyms: dick, gumshoe, PI, private dick, private eye, private investigator, Sam Spade, shamus
Synonyms & antonyms
nounPerson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who can be employed as a detective to collect information and assist in criminal investigations
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Afrikaans privaatspeurder
- privaatspeurderperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Catalan detectiu privat, investigador privat
- detectiu privatperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- investigador privatperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Chinese Cantonese 私家偵探 /私家侦探
- 私家偵探 /私家侦探 (si¹ gaa¹ zing¹ taam³)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Chinese Mandarin 私人偵探 /私人侦探
- 私人偵探 /私人侦探 (sīrén zhēntàn)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Czech soukromý detektiv, soukromé očko
- soukromý detektivperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- soukromé očkoperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Danish privatdetektiv
- privatdetektivperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Dutch privédetective
- privédetectiveperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Estonian eradetektiiv
- eradetektiivperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Finnish yksityisetsivä
- yksityisetsiväperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
French détective privé, privé
- détective privéperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- privéperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
German Privatdetektiv, Schnüffler
- Privatdetektivperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- Schnüfflerperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Greek ιδιωτικός ερευνητής
- ιδιωτικός ερευνητής (idiotikós erevnitís)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Hungarian magánnyomozó, magándetektív
- magánnyomozóperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- magándetektívperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Japanese 探偵
- 探偵 (tantei)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Korean 탐정
- 탐정 (tamjeong)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Norwegian Bokmål privatetterforsker
- privatetterforskerperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Polish prywatny detektyw
- prywatny detektywperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Portuguese detetive particular
- detetive particularperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Romanian detectiv particular
- detectiv particularperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Russian ча́стный детекти́в, ча́стный сы́щик
- ча́стный детекти́в (částnyj detektív)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- ча́стный сы́щик (částnyj sýščik)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Spanish detective privado, investigador privado
- detective privadoperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- investigador privadoperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Swedish privatdeckare
- privatdeckareperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Turkish özel dedektif, özel ajan
- özel dedektifperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
- özel ajanperson who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Ukrainian приватний детектив
- приватний детектив (pryvatnyj detektyv)person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
Cite this entry
APA
private detective. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/private%20detective
MLA
“private detective.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/private%20detective. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “private detective,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/private%20detective.
Source: private detective on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.