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

• 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

Shabtai Shavit, the Mossad director whose term ended in 1996, said Israel was aware of Khan’s travels in the region but did not initially detect his crucial role in Iran’s program. —Yossi Melman, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025

Still, one amateur radio group has detected evidence that AST merely shut down the radio communications from the BlueWalker-3 satellite two weeks ago. —PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025

The scanner detects these shifts and uses them to create images of the tissue. —Michaela Maya-Mrschtik, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2025

The system detects rule-breaking, and a human reviews the evidence before a citation is issued. —Murugan Anandarajan, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2025

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