verb · neutral

detect

/dɪˈtɛkt/de·TECT

Band 7+task1task2

to discover or notice something, especially something that is not easy to see; to find evidence of

Examples

Screening programmes aim to detect disease at an early stage.

The radar system can detect even small aircraft.

Scientists detected traces of pollution in the river water.

Band 8 sentence

Advanced sensors now detect microscopic levels of contamination that older equipment missed.

Collocations

  • detect disease
  • detect traces of
  • be detected by

Word family

detect verbdetection noundetectable adjective

Common mistakes

detect ofdetect (no preposition) / detect traces of

be detectbe detected

Say it for a higher band

5find6notice7+detect

Synonyms

discover

identify

Easily confused

discover

Archaeologists discovered a Roman coin during the excavation.

Related words

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In Sublist 9

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