detect

verb

de·​tect di-ˈtekt 

dē-

detected; detecting; detects

transitive verb

1

: to discover the true character of

detecting drug smugglers

2

: to discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

detect alcohol in the blood

Do I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice?

3

: demodulate

intransitive verb

: to work as a detective

detectability

di-ˌtek-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

dē-

noun

detectable

di-ˈtek-tə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

Synonyms of detect

• find
• learn
• locate
• discover
• get

Examples of detect in a Sentence

The test is used to detect the presence of alcohol in the blood.

This type of cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Guard troops plan to continue training with the new technology alongside federal agency partners including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to gain further expertise in using it to detect drone threats within the United States. — Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Some are even more advanced, automatically detecting your absence and switching to a more energy-friendly mode. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 31 July 2026

Michigan's outbreak was first detected in Monroe County in late June and has since spread to 70 counties, with Southeast Michigan bearing the heaviest burden. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 31 July 2026

According to the company, the number of bug fixes in Chrome releases has skyrocketed in recent months because AI is detecting so many flaws. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin detectus, past participle of detegere to uncover, detect, from de- + tegere to cover — more at thatch

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for detect

• affect
• aspect
• bedecked
• bisect
• collect
• connect
• correct
• deflect
• direct
• dissect
• effect
• eject

Kids Definition

detect

verb

de·​tect di-ˈtekt 

: to discover the nature, existence, presence, or fact of

detect the approach of an airplane

detectable

-ˈtek-tə-bəl 

adjective

detection

-ˈtek-shən

noun