detect
/dɪˈtɛkt/
verb
Common
1.v.discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
“She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water”
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detect and find share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. detect means “discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of”. find means “come upon, as if by accident; meet with”. find is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈtɛkt/
1.v.discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
“She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water”
/ˈfaɪnd/
1.v.come upon, as if by accident; meet with
“We find this idea in Plato”
2.v.discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
“She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water”
3.v.come upon after searching; find the location of something that was missed or lost
“Did you find your glasses?”
| detect | find | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈtɛkt/ | /ˈfaɪnd/ |
| Said | di-TEKT | fahynd |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 1 | 18 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | observe, find, discover | happen, chance, bump |
Full entry for detect · Full entry for find · More comparisons