investigator
gb/ɪnvˈɛstəɡˌeɪtɚ/ us/ɪnvˈɛstəɡˌeɪtɚ/
B2
English
~ 8100
nyomozó, vizsgáló, kutatásvezető, vezető kutató, vizsgálatvezető
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
an investigator [into/of] [something]
The lead investigator said that new evidence had been found at the crime scene.
A vezető nyomozó azt mondta, hogy új bizonyítékot találtak a bűntény helyszínén.
Independent investigators were hired to look into the company’s safety practices after the accident.
A baleset után független vizsgálókat bíztak meg azzal, hogy kivizsgálják a vállalat biztonsági gyakorlatát.
A private investigator followed the man for weeks before reporting back to her client.
Federal investigators are trying to determine what caused the plane to crash.
The report was based on interviews conducted by an investigator from the human rights organization.
Learner examples
The police sent an investigator to talk to the neighbors.
A rendőrség nyomozót küldött, hogy beszéljen a szomszédokkal.
An investigator asked many questions about the fire.
Egy nyomozó sok kérdést tett fel a tűzzel kapcsolatban.
Her family hired a private investigator to find her lost brother.
The government chose an independent investigator to study the problem.
The investigator looked carefully at every part of the scene.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "investigator" with "investor." An investor puts money into a business to make a profit, while an investigator looks for facts about a case or problem. Learners may also overuse "detective"; use "investigator" in more formal, news, or official contexts, especially when it may not be only about crimes.
Meaning
person who investigates crimes or problems
Collocations
police investigator
|private investigator
|lead investigator
|homicide investigator
|independent investigator
|case investigator
Synonyms
detective (Usually refers to someone in the police or a private agent who investigates crimes specifically.)
|
inspector (Often a police rank or official who checks things; overlaps when they are responsible for investigating cases.)
|
examiner (Focuses more on carefully checking or analyzing evidence or documents than on running a whole investigation.)
Antonyms
suspect (The person who is being investigated in connection with a crime, not the person doing the investigation.)
Themes
law
|crime
|work
|government
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person whose job is to look for the facts about a crime, accident, or other serious problem.
A person whose job is to find out the facts about a crime, accident, or other problem, often for the police or another official body.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
2
Usage pattern:
an investigator [in/on] [a study/trial/project]
The principal investigator will review all the data before the results are published.
A kutatásvezető az eredmények közzététele előtt áttekinti az összes adatot.
Clinical investigators must follow strict ethical guidelines when working with patients.
A klinikai vizsgálatot végző kutatóknak szigorú etikai irányelveket kell követniük, amikor betegekkel dolgoznak.
Each site investigator reported the trial outcomes to the central research team.
The investigators concluded that the new treatment was safe but only slightly more effective than the standard therapy.
Grant money will be given to early-career investigators working on climate change research.
Learner examples
The investigator in this study works at a big hospital.
A vizsgálat kutatásvezetője egy nagy kórházban dolgozik.
All investigators must explain the risks to the patients.
Minden vizsgálatban részt vevő kutatónak el kell magyaráznia a kockázatokat a betegeknek.
The investigator wrote a report about the results.
Two investigators worked together on the project.
The main investigator answered questions from the students.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in scientific and medical writing, "investigator" often means a researcher, not someone who looks into crimes. In this context, "investigator" is close to "researcher" and is commonly used in phrases like "principal investigator" and "clinical investigator."
Meaning
researcher in charge of a study
Collocations
principal investigator
|co-investigator
|clinical investigator
|study investigator
|trial investigator
Synonyms
researcher (General word for a person who does research; "investigator" is more formal and often used in medical or scientific studies.)
|
scientist (Broader term for someone working in science; not all scientists are investigators on a specific study.)
|
principal investigator (More specific term for the main investigator who has official responsibility for the study.)
Antonyms
subject (In research, the subject is the person or thing being studied, not the person who runs the study.)
Themes
science
|medicine
|research
|education
|health
Definition
A scientist or researcher who plans and leads a scientific or medical study.
A scientist or researcher, especially the one with primary responsibility for designing, conducting, and reporting a scientific or medical study.
Grammar
Dictionary form
investigator
IPA
GB/ɪnvˈɛstəɡˌeɪtɚ/
US/ɪnvˈɛstəɡˌeɪtɚ/
Syllables & stress
in - vest - ig - at - or (5 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (vest)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: investigator
- Plural: investigators
Word family
Forms
investigators
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
uninvestigated
adjective
Advanced or less common
investigatory
adjective
Expressions
lead investigator
1/lˈid ɪnvˈɛstəɡˌeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
main person directing an investigation
The main person in charge of an investigation, who directs the work and makes key decisions.
Examples
- The lead investigator briefed reporters on the progress of the case.
- Police named Detective Harris as the lead investigator in the kidnapping.
- As lead investigator, she coordinated the work of several different teams.
private investigator
1/pɹˈaɪvɪt ɪnvˈɛstəɡˌeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
non-police professional investigator for hire
A person who is not a police officer but is paid by people or companies to find facts about personal or business problems.
Examples
- They hired a private investigator to find out if the company was stealing their ideas.
- In many movies, the main character is a tough private investigator who works alone.
- The lawyer suggested using a private investigator to track down the missing witness.
principal investigator
1/pɹˈɪnsəpəl ɪnvˈɛstəɡˌeɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
Lead researcher on a project
The main person responsible for a research project, often for a grant.
Examples
- Dr. Lee is the principal investigator for the cancer study.
- The principal investigator submitted the final report to the funding agency.
- Funding will be sent to the university through the principal investigator.
- As principal investigator, she is responsible for how the grant money is used.
- The ethics board asked the principal investigator to clarify the study’s risks.