Untersucher

Untersucher is a German noun meaning "investigator" or "examiner." It denotes a person who conducts investigations, inquiries, or examinations. The form is gendered: masculine Untersucher, feminine Untersucherin, and the plural Untersucher/Untersucherinnen, depending on context.

In everyday and formal usage, the term appears in law enforcement, academia, or medicine, but modern police and judicial work more commonly use terms such as Ermittler or Sachverständiger. Untersucher can refer to someone who examines evidence, documents, or specimens; in forensic or medical contexts it may be contrasted with more specialized titles like Gerichtsmediziner (forensic pathologist) or Leichenbeschauer (corpse examiner).

Historically, Untersucher is used as a neutral descriptor for those who perform investigations. In English-language writing, the term is rarely used; typical translations are investigator or examiner. The word remains visible in crime fiction and legal reporting, where it serves as a straightforward designation rather than a strict professional title.