person of interest
Someone under scrutiny
A person of interest is someone law enforcement wants to question or investigate in connection with a crime, though not yet formally accused.
The term is deliberately vague—more than a witness, less than a suspect: Police identified him as a person of interest in the disappearance.
It allows authorities to signal focus on someone without the legal implications of calling them a suspect.
Person found guilty
- perpetratorOne who commits wrongdoing
- alibiDefense of location
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- lineupOrdered list of participants
probable cause · warrant · accomplice · co-conspirator · detainee · fugitive · witness · questioning
Systematic observation of subjects
- targetObject of pursuit
- watchlistTracked items roster
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
- trackingMonitoring location over time
stakeout · intelligence · reconnaissance · profile · dossier · background check · vetting · wiretap
Crime fiction identifying perpetrator
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- puzzleChallenge testing ingenuity
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
detective · clue · secrets · unknown · intrigue · red herring · plot twist · noir
Widely recognized public figure
- newsmakerPerson generating media attention
- VIPNotable, for short
- dignitaryPerson of high rank
- public figureProminent, widely recognized person
luminary · headliner · influencer · prominent · high-profile · media attention · spotlight · press coverage
culprit
Person found guilty
- perpetratorOne who commits wrongdoing
- alibiDefense of location
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
lineup · probable cause · warrant · accomplice · co-conspirator · detainee · fugitive · witness · questioning · evidence
surveillance
Systematic observation of subjects
- targetObject of pursuit
- watchlistTracked items roster
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
tracking · stakeout · intelligence · reconnaissance · profile · dossier · background check · vetting · wiretap · tipster
whodunit
Crime fiction identifying perpetrator
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- puzzleChallenge testing ingenuity
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
thriller · detective · clue · secrets · unknown · intrigue · red herring · plot twist · noir · shadowy figure
celebrity
Widely recognized public figure
public figure · luminary · headliner · influencer · prominent · high-profile · media attention · spotlight · press coverage · paparazzi
- crime investigationdetective, whodunit, investigation, detectives, investigator
- true crimetrue crime, cold case, crime docs, unsolved mystery, murder mystery
- Doublespeakcollateral damage, enhanced interrogation, friendly fire, regime change, neutralize
- missing personsdisappearance, missing children, missing child, vanished, vanishing
- suspectssuspect, accused, prime suspect, alleged, perpetrator
- investigationinvestigation, detective, evidence, clue, case
person of interestvictim
One harmed by another
complainant · witness · bystander · informant · tipster
person, persons, personal, personally, personality, personable, personify, personification, impersonal