noun

investigator

in-VES-tih-gay-ter/ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪtər/

A person who examines facts or evidence to discover the truth.

The investigator examines the broken window with a flashlight and notebook.

White female investigator examines a broken window with flashlight and notebook.

Etymology

inLatinin, into

+vestigLatinto track, trace

+atorLatinperson who acts

The tracking root makes an investigator someone who traces things out, figuratively pursuing facts rather than footprints. The noun may have been formed in English or taken from the corresponding Latin agent noun.

In context

LADbible Stories11:47

a medical legal death investigator specifically is an individual who goes to the scene of any kind of death

I've Cut Open 7,000 Dead Bodies | Minutes With

More examples

Fire investigators look for clues about how the blaze started.
The insurance company sends an investigator to check the claim.
She hires a private investigator to find her missing brother.

Forms

investigator · investigators

investigate verb — Examine facts or evidence to discover the truth.

investigation noun — An organized examination of facts or evidence.

Similar words

detective: Usually investigates crimes, often as a police officer.
researcher: Seeks knowledge through systematic study rather than investigating particular incidents.
examiner: Inspects or tests something, without necessarily seeking hidden facts.