private investigatornoun [ C ]
/ˈprɑɪ·vɪt inˈves·tɪˌɡeɪ·tər/also private detective, us/ˈprɑɪ·vɪt dɪˈtek·tɪv/, infml private eye, /ˈprɑɪ·vɪt ˈɑɪ/a person whose job it is to discover information about people, but who is not a member of a police force