detection

American  

[dih-tek-shuhn] / dɪˈtɛk ʃən /

noun

• detections
  plural

1. the act of detecting.

2. the fact of being detected.

3. discovery, as of error or crime.

   chance detection of smuggling.

4. Telecommunications.

   1. rectification of alternating signal currents in a radio receiver.

   2. Also called demodulation. the conversion of an alternating, modulated carrier wave or current into a direct, pulsating current equivalent to the transmitted information-bearing signal.

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detection British  

/ dɪˈtɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act of discovering or the fact of being discovered

   detection of crime

2. the act or process of extracting information, esp at audio or video frequencies, from an electromagnetic wave See also demodulation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predetection
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• detections
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of detection

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin dētēctiōn- (stem of dētēctiō ), equivalent to Latin dētēct ( us ) ( see detect) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

Detection is the act of noticing or discovering something. At the airport, you might see German Shepherds trained in the detection of drug smuggling or explosives in luggage. Detection, detect, detective, detector — all are about noticing and discovering. A detective looks for clues that lead to the detection of the person who committed a crime. A metal detector is a machine created for the detection of coins people have left behind on the beach. Some teachers seem to have a third eye they use primarily for the detection of kids passing notes, or checking their cell phones during class.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

detection detections

Dogs' scent detection skills are often used in conservation work on land, including tracking endangered species and helping investigate environmental crime.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The National Laboratories should develop next-generation biological detection technologies to replace the BioWatch systems introduced decades ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The findings also suggest that growers may need more comprehensive detection methods capable of identifying a broader range of bacterial threats.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

Writers who want the label have their works run through AI detection software and undergo an interview with an auditor, who also checks the book personally.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

So I decided to do some more detection on my own.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

Rabid-bat detections vary from year to year, but Los Angeles County has seen a steady upward trend in the number of rabid bats for more than a decade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Company managers omitted some elevated chemical readings from testing reports, Dixon said, and they told workers who produced too many detections they would be sent home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The second largest cluster of detections occurred near the Pine Island Glacier.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

A spokesperson for California’s Dept. of Pesticide Regulation, which oversees pesticide use, said the EWG report looked at detections of the PFAS, but the state “looks at how the detections compare to federal tolerance levels.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

One game was a paper with lines in all detections and lots of boxs.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

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Related Words

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