Meanings
plural detections
- countableuncountableThe act or process of detecting, uncovering, or finding out, the discovery of something new, hidden, or disguised.
“Why should Eldridge commit murder?[…]There was only one possible motive—namely, he wished to avoid detection as James Selby of Anaconda Ltd.[…]”
1931, Francis Beeding, “10/6”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps1 more example
In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC - countableobsoleteuncountableSynonym of accusation, the exposure of concealed information about a crime or heresy.
Synonyms: accusation
- countableuncountablebusinessThe act or process of finding or detecting an electrical signal in a carrier wave.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of accusation, the exposure of concealed information about a crime or heresy.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe act of detecting something; catching sight of something
nouna police investigation to determine the perpetrator
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindētēctiō
- Englishdetection
Learned borrowing from Latin dētēctiō. By surface analysis, detect + -ion.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian откриване, разкриване
- откриване (otkrivane)act of detecting or sensing something
- разкриване (razkrivane)act of detecting or sensing something
Catalan detecció
- deteccióact of detecting or sensing something
Finnish havaitseminen, löytäminen
- havaitseminenact of detecting or sensing something
- löytäminenact of detecting or sensing something
French détection, détection
- détectionact of detecting or sensing something
- détectionthe finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
German Detektion
- Detektionact of detecting or sensing something
Greek ανίχνευση
- ανίχνευση (aníchnefsi)act of detecting or sensing something
Indonesian deteksi, deteksi
- deteksiact of detecting or sensing something
- deteksithe finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
Irish lorgaireacht, brathadóireacht
- lorgaireachtact of detecting or sensing something
- brathadóireachtact of detecting or sensing something
Italian identificazione, investigazione
- identificazioneact of detecting or sensing something
- investigazioneact of detecting or sensing something
- rilevazioneact of detecting or sensing something
- rilevamentoact of detecting or sensing something
- rilevamentothe finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
- detezionethe finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
Korean 탐지, 수색
- 탐지 (tamji)act of detecting or sensing something
- 수색 (susaek)act of detecting or sensing something
Latin detectio
- detectioact of detecting or sensing something
Persian شناسایی
- شناسایی (šenâsâyi)act of detecting or sensing something
Polish wykrycie, wykrywanie
- wykrycieact of detecting or sensing something
- wykrywanieact of detecting or sensing something
- detekcjaact of detecting or sensing something
Portuguese detecção, deteção
- detecçãoact of detecting or sensing something
- deteçãoact of detecting or sensing something
- detecçãothe finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
- deteçãothe finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
Romanian detecție
- detecțieact of detecting or sensing something
Russian выявле́ние, обнаруже́ние
- выявле́ние (vyjavlénije)act of detecting or sensing something
- обнаруже́ние (obnaružénije)act of detecting or sensing something
- детекти́рование (detektírovanije)the finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
Spanish detección, detección
- detecciónact of detecting or sensing something
- detecciónthe finding out of a constituent, a signal, an agent or the like
Swedish fynd
- fyndact of detecting or sensing something
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with detection
Cite this entry
detection. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detection
“detection.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “detection,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detection.
Source: detection on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.