detective agency
5
3.3
- noun
- /dɪˈtɛktɪv ˈeɪdʒənsi/
:
agencia de detectives
- After a long search, she finally found a reputable detective agency to help her investigate the matter.
- run a detective agency
- private detective agency
- work for a detective agency
Examples
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After I retired, I reopened the detective agency my old man used to own.
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Ms. Gunther opened her own detective agency.
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I want us to set up a detective agency.
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We could open our own ladies' detective agency.
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You want to set up a detective agency?
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I thought we would open up our own detective agency in town.
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I guess I could always set up a small detective agency out here or something.
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The detective agency worked all night on it.
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But I think I'd like to start my own detective agency.
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I ended up hiring a private detective agency.
Blog text (19)
How Reliable
5
3.3
64
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a business that investigates and gathers information' is directly derivable from combining 'detective' (investigator) with 'agency' (a firm providing services). This straightforward noun-noun composition is cross-linguistically common (e.g., agencia de detectives) and would be clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Detective agency comes from the idea of a small office where paid people who find information work for clients. The word detective means someone who finds hidden facts and agency means a place that acts for others, so the phrase literally means a business that 'investigates' for customers.