# investigator
## English
### Etymology

Attested in the mid‐16th century; from Latin investigator, from investigare, equivalent to investigate +‎ -or.

### Noun

investigator (plural investigators)
* One who investigates.
    Synonyms: detective, dick, gumshoe, (obsolete) indagator, private eye, sleuth
** 2022 October 4, Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, “Secret recording played at trial shows Oath Keepers allegedly planning for violence in DC”, in CNN‎:That the Oath Keepers recording went uninvestigated by the FBI until after January 6 is an “additional piece of information that congressional investigators in particular on the January 6th committee and the other Homeland Security committees should be looking at to determine whether or not the FBI and other law enforcement organizations were doing enough on the prevention side,” Cordero told CNN’s Ana Cabrera on Tuesday.
** 2024 March 11, Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand and Paula Reid, “Capitol Hill hearing puts Robert Hur, investigator behind Biden classified documents probe, back in the spotlight”, in CNN‎:Over the past year, Hur was tasked with investigating classified documents found at Biden’s home and private office from his time as vice president. Hur was seen as a meticulous investigator during the probe, sources told CNN.

#### Hyponyms

* principal investigator

#### Derived terms

* coinvestigator
* cyberinvestigator
* investigatress
* principal investigator
* private investigator
* subinvestigator

#### Related terms

* investigatrix (feminine)
* reinvestigator

#### References

* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “investigator”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “investigator”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
* “investigator”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

## Latin
### Etymology 1

From investīgō +‎ -tor.

#### Noun

investīgātor m (genitive investīgātōris, feminine investīgātrīx); third declension
* investigator, researcher
    Synonym: indāgātor
** 2018, Tuomo Pekkanen, Nova formicae species , Nuntii Latini 27.4.2018:
    Grex investigatorum in Borneo novam formicae speciem invenit, quae se explodendo communitatem suam defendit.A group of researchers in Borneo has found a new species of ant which defends its nest by exploding.

##### Declension

Third-declension noun.

##### Descendants

* Catalan: investigador
* French: investigateur
* Galician: investigador
* Italian: investigatore
* Ladino: investigador
* Portuguese: investigador
* Romanian: investigator
* Spanish: investigador

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

investīgātor
* second/third-person singular future passive imperative of investīgō

### References

* “investigator”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “investigator”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French investigateur, from Latin investigator. Equivalent to investiga +‎ -tor.

### Adjective

investigator m or n (feminine singular investigatoare, masculine plural investigatori, feminine and neuter plural investigatoare)
* investigating

#### Declension
### Noun

investigator m (plural investigatori, feminine equivalent investigatoare)
* investigator

#### Derived terms

* investigare
* investigație