Words / B2

di-TEKT/dɪˈtekt/

To detect is to notice something that is not obvious: a smell, a fault, a lie, a virus. Notice is everyday; detect often suggests instruments, training, or a faint signal. Discover can mean find for the first time; detect is about picking it up. Detection and detective are related; in speech, I spotted it or I noticed is more natural.

Meaning

To notice or discover something that is not obvious.

Examples

• “I detected a mistake in the first line.”
• “The software detected unusual logins at 3 a.m.”
• “I thought I detected a note of sarcasm.”

Good to know

detect a fault / a change. More technical than notice. Noun: detection.

Near in meaning

notice

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