detective
/dɪˈtɛktɪv/
noun
Core
1.n.a police officer who investigates crimes
2.n.an investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public
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detective and investigator share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. detective means “a police officer who investigates crimes”. investigator means “a scientist who devotes himself to doing research”. detective is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈtɛktɪv/
1.n.a police officer who investigates crimes
2.n.an investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public
| detective | investigator | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈtɛktɪv/ | /ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪtɚ/ |
| Said | di-TEK-tiv | in-VEH-stuh-gay-tur |
| Syllables | 3 | 5 |
| Letters | 9 | 12 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun |
| Senses | 2 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | investigator, tec, police detective | research worker, researcher |
Full entry for detective · Full entry for investigator · More comparisons
/ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪtɚ/
1.n.a scientist who devotes himself to doing research
2.n.someone who investigates
3.n.a police officer who investigates crimes