Phrase guide

private detective

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: PI, private eye, private investigator, operative, shamus, sherlock

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: detective

Narrower terms: hotel detective, house detective, house dick, inquiry agent, store detective

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: privaatspeurder — person 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 — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Catalan: investigador privat — person 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 (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 (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 — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Czech: soukromé očko — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Danish: privatdetektiv — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Dutch: privédetective — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Estonian: eradetektiiv — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Finnish: yksityisetsivä — person 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 — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • French: privé — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • German: Privatdetektiv — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • German: Schnüffler — person 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 (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 — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Hungarian: magándetektív — person 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 (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 (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 — person 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 — person 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 — person 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 — person 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 (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
  • Russian: 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
  • Slovene: zasebni detektiv — 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 — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Spanish: investigador privado — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Swedish: privatdeckare — person 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 — person who is not a government official who is hired to provide information about a person or group that is not widely available
  • Turkish: özel ajan — person 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 (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