detective


Definition: Meaning of, detective in English to English dictionary.

Pronunciation: / dɪˈtɛktɪv /

  • noun
  • synonym
  • antonym
Word Forms:
Singular Plural
detective detectives
[countable]
  1. a police officer whose job is to discover information about crimes and catch criminals
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  2. also private detective someone who is paid to discover information about someone or something
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  3. detective work efforts to discover information, find out how something works, answer a difficult question etc
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  4. detective story/novel etc a story etc about a crime, often a murder, and a detective who tries to find out who did it
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synonym
antonym

detective used in phrases

  • detective agency (noun)
    1. an agency that makes inquiries for its clients
  • detective novel (noun)
    1. novel in which the reader is challenged to solve a puzzle before the detective explains it at the end
  • detective story (noun)
    1. a narrative about someone who investigates crimes and obtains evidence leading to their resolution
  • detective work (noun)
    1. a police investigation to determine the perpetrator
  • hotel detective (noun)
    1. a private detective employed by a hotel or retail store
  • house detective (noun)
    1. a private detective employed by a hotel or retail store
  • police detective (noun)
    1. a police officer who investigates crimes
  • private detective (noun)
    1. someone who can be employed to look for information or missing people, or to follow people and report on what they do
  • store detective (noun)
    1. someone who is employed in a large shop to watch the customers and to stop them stealing
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