detective
A police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator.
Noun 2 meanings
A police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator.
“He worked as a detective with the agency for five years.”
A person employed to find information not otherwise available to the public.
Adjective 1 meaning
Employed in detecting.
Verb 2 meanings
To be or act as or like a detective.
To investigate or find information about (someone or something) as or like a detective.
Etymology
The adjective is from Classical Latin dētēct-, past participial stem of dētegō (“to detect”), + -ive. By surface analysis, detect + -ive. Noun sense 1 is an ellipsis of detective policeman, detective officer, or a similar construction. The later more general noun sense 2 was derived by extension.
Similar and opposite words
DETECTIVE at a glance
DETECTIVE has 9 letters and scores 15 points in Scrabble (D 2 + E 1 + T 1 + E 1 + C 3 + T 1 + I 1 + V 4 + E 1) and 17 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #4,935 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with detective
All rhymesOne letter away
- DEFECTIVE18
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