investigator

noun

in·​ves·​ti·​ga·​tor in-ˈve-stə-ˌgā-tər How to pronounce investigator (audio)
plural investigators
: one who investigates something: such as
a
: detective
a private investigator
Debra Winger plays the investigator who becomes fixated on identifying a killer …Margaret Rauch
b
: a person who conducts experiments or is involved in scientific studies for research
the lead investigator in a clinical trial
For dialect recording, it is best for the investigator to take down as full and accurate notes as possible without slowing down the pace of the interview.Ravin I. McDavid, Jr.

Examples of investigator in a Sentence

investigators who discovered new evidence that the universe was much older than had been previously estimated the investigator in charge of the case was touted as an expert at tracing stolen art
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the claim started to unravel as investigators talked to Morales Reyes, who doesn’t speak English fluently, and obtained a handwriting sample from him that was different from the handwriting in the letters, according to court documents. Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025 Sacramento police investigators are still working to determine how the 36-year-old mother of four became fatally pinned between her sport utility vehicle and another car in a shopping center’s parking lot on Rush River Drive in Sacramento’s Pocket neighborhood Tuesday evening. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025 Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office investigators are working to determine how the child ended up in the water, according to the statement. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 June 2025 Though Watkins had first been ruled out as a suspect in the killing of 20-year-old Isaac Dawkins, who was shot in the head while driving on a highway in Rome in 2000, he was pursued by Floyd County police and investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to his complaint. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for investigator

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of investigator was in 1538

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Cite this Entry

“Investigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investigator. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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