détective
detective
noun deh-tek-TEEV Less Common
Origin: English detective (19th c. borrowing)
Usage Note
Détective is the standard term for a private detective in French; a police detective is more often called an inspecteur or enquêteur. The word is masculine by default but can be used for women without change. It is largely a loanword from English and is spelled and pronounced similarly.
Examples
"Le détective a trouvé des preuves importantes."
Natural Translation
The detective found important evidence.
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