detector

noun

de·​tec·​tor di-ˈtek-tər 

: one that detects: such as

a

: a device for detecting the presence of electromagnetic waves or of radioactivity

b

: a rectifier of high-frequency current used especially for extracting the intelligence from a radio signal

Synonyms of detector

• sensor

Examples of detector in a Sentence

using metal detectors to improve safety at airports

a motion detector to thwart burglaries

Recent Examples on the Web

OpenAI’s false-positive rate is 1 percent, meaning the detector is designed to wrongly flag about one in 100 unwatermarked passages. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026

To address this, the PNNL team fitted the Sapphire 1700 with significantly more detectors than similar instruments. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026

The college paper, the Dartmouth, then ran other publications from Schnell through an AI detector. — Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

The college paper, The Dartmouth, then ran other publications from Schnell through an AI detector. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing detector

• lie detector
• metal detector
• radar detector
• smoke detector

Rhymes for detector

• bisector
• collector
• connector
• corrector
• defector
• deflector
• director
• dissector
• effector
• ejector
• elector
• erector

Kids Definition

detector

noun

de·​tec·​tor di-ˈtek-tər 

1

: one that detects or warns

a smoke detector

2

: a device in a radio receiver for changing the high-frequency current of radio waves into current that can vibrate a loudspeaker to reproduce the original sound

Medical Definition

detector

noun

de·​tec·​tor di-ˈtek-tər 

: one that detects

especially : a device for detecting the presence of electromagnetic waves or of radioactivity