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

The handheld particle detector CosmicWatch is roughly the size of a box of animal crackers. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026

To get in on the trend without investing in a new appliance, simpler improvements like under-sink water filtration systems and water-leak detectors offer peace of mind and improve quality of life, too. —Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026

New speed detectors in construction work zones Under Assembly Bill 289, California will launch a pilot program that uses new speed detectors in highway work zones to improve safety. —Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026

Continually curating fresh data and retraining detectors is costly, and detectors inevitably lag behind the systems they are meant to identify. —Ambuj Tewari, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025

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