detected; detecting; detects
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
: to work as a detective
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
Functional Bias: The failure of a technology to detect, mitigate, or prevent biased outputs or discriminatory patterns, either in its design, training data, decision logic, or deployment context, resulting in unjust treatment, exclusion, or systemic distortion of individuals or groups.
—
Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Scientists in recent years have also detected new sites using laser mapping technology, revealing the interconnectivity of Mayan cities, towns and villages.
—Alysha Bibi, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced that artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to detect and address air traffic risks, following a slew of near-misses and fatal plane crashes across the country.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
The device accurately detected changes in brainwave patterns.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detect
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Scientists in recent years have also detected new sites using laser mapping technology, revealing the interconnectivity of Mayan cities, towns and villages.
—Alysha Bibi, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced that artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to detect and address air traffic risks, following a slew of near-misses and fatal plane crashes across the country.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
The device accurately detected changes in brainwave patterns.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detect
Cite this Entry
“Detect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detect. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detect
verb
de·tect
di-ˈtekt 
: to discover the nature, existence, presence, or fact of
detect the approach of an airplane
detection
noun
-ˈtek-shən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share