detective

noun

(law enforcement) A police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator.

A person employed to find information not otherwise available to the public.

adjective

Employed in detecting.

Roots

tegotect- · Latin · cover

Synonyms for detective

investigatorn plainclothesmann sleuthn gumshoen copn policewomann policemann inspectorn patrolmann constablen hawkshawn sheriffn sergeantn gendarmen examinern officern

Synonyms & related words for detective

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of detective — including investigator, plainclothesman, sleuth, gumshoe, cop, policewoman. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to detective

Explore words related to detective — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include sleuthhound, whodunit, police, shamus, criminalist, constabulary, investigative, lawman. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for detective

Common synonyms for detective include investigator, plainclothesman, sleuth, gumshoe, cop, policewoman, policeman, inspector — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does detective come from?

The word detective breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root tect-, from Latin tego (“cover”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.