detect

1 of 2

verb

de·tect di-ˈtekt

dē-

detected; detecting; detects

Synonyms of detect

transitive verb

: to discover the true character of

detecting drug smugglers

: 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?

: demodulate

intransitive verb

: to work as a detective

detectability

di-ˌtek-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

dē-

noun

detectable

di-ˈtek-tə-bəl

dē-

adjective

detectable

2 of 2

adjective

de·tect·able -əbəl

: capable of being detected

detectability noun

Examples of detect in a Sentence

Verb 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

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.

Verb

While a crack in a propeller may be visible, contamination inside a motor bearing can be more difficult to detect. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026 The company has yet to publicly show that its technology can reliably detect disease. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026 Even the most advanced cancers were correctly detected only 60% – 63% of the time. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026 Credit monitoring can help detect certain types of identity theft, particularly fraud involving new credit accounts. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detect

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1574, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of detect was in 1574

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

detd

detect

detectable

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Detect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detect. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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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

detect

verb

adjective

Synonyms of detect

Examples of detect in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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detect

verb

adjective

Synonyms of detect

Examples of detect in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for detect

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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