detected

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "detected" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to talk about noticing something, usually in the sense of noticing something unusual or interesting. Example sentence: The scientists detected a strange signal coming from deep space.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Another sign of dissent could be detected in the last days of "really existing socialism", when protesting crowds sang official songs, including national anthems, to remind the powers of their unfulfilled promises.

The Guardian

Film from cameras equipped with mobile automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) is being analysed to establish whether a pattern can be detected of vehicles on the fatal nights.

The Guardian

And leftwing magazine Krytyka Polityczna detected "vulgar antisemitic tropes" in one character.

The Guardian - Film

The disproportionately high death toll in the Mediterranean, the report concludes, "reflects a dramatic increase in the number of migrants trying to reach Europe", with more than 112,000 irregular migrants detected by Italian authorities in 2014 – almost three times as many as in 2013.

The Guardian

As an undetectable means of bumping someone off, poison has fallen steeply out of favour in recent times, forensic technology having advanced to such a degree that the presence of even the smallest quantities of any toxic agent in a corpse will now almost inevitably be detected.

The Guardian

"They would have no power to impound the notes, but they would inform the Inland Revenue and the police of any suspiciously large volume of banknotes which they detected.

The Guardian

If a representative of the NUM could be detected entering this country with a suitcase full of banknotes, it might be possible to arrange for him to be stopped and searched by Customs.

The Guardian

Turkeys flash frozen at 0F can be served up to a year later, with no detected change in quality.

The Guardian - Business

However, experts have detected a shift in the government's attitude towards Prevent, with a realisation on the part of policy-makers and security professionals that overall counter-terrorism efforts were lacking initiatives to improve community cohesion.

The Guardian

Last weekend one detected signs of panic in the ranks: much concern about so-called "secular stagnation" and "the new mediocre" with regard to the sluggish world economy.

The Guardian

But the detailed polling suggests the gap between Labour and the SNP in its heartland seats is far closer than the 17-point average detected in national polling, with Labour sources describing that finding as "encouraging, but we're not saying 'great, high five'".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "detected" when you want to emphasize that something was noticed, often through careful observation or technical means. Ensure the context clearly indicates what was "detected" and by what method.

Common error

Avoid mixing past and present tenses when describing an event where something was "detected". Maintain consistent tense throughout the sentence and surrounding text to ensure clarity.

Linguistic Context

The word "detected" primarily functions as the past participle of the verb 'detect', often used in passive voice constructions. It also serves as an adjective to describe something that has been noticed. Ludwig confirms its correct usage in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Science

22%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "detected" functions both as a verb and an adjective, commonly used to indicate that something has been noticed or discovered. As Ludwig AI confirms, it appears across a wide range of sources, from News & Media to Science and Formal & Business contexts. Its neutral register makes it suitable for diverse writing styles. To improve your writing, ensure tense consistency and choose between "detected" and alternatives like "identified" or "discovered" based on the specific nuance you want to convey. With a high source quality score of 88 and an expert rating of 4.6, "detected" is a reliable and versatile term to include in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

identified

Focuses on recognizing something specific from a range of possibilities.

discovered

Implies finding something previously unknown or hidden.

observed

Highlights the act of watching and noticing something.

noticed

Suggests a casual or less formal awareness of something.

found

A general term for locating something.

ascertained

Emphasizes the process of finding something out for certain.

recognized

Highlights the act of acknowledging something previously known or understood.

revealed

Implies making something known that was previously secret or unclear.

uncovered

Suggests revealing something hidden or concealed.

pinpointed

Focuses on identifying something precisely or accurately.

FAQs

How to use "detected" in a sentence?

Use "detected" to indicate that something has been noticed, often through specific means. For example, "The sensor "detected" a change in temperature", or "Anomalies were "detected" in the data".

What can I say instead of "detected"?

You can use alternatives like "identified", "discovered", "observed", or "noticed" depending on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

What's the difference between "detected" and "discovered"?

"Detected" implies noticing something, often through specific tools or methods, while "discovered" suggests finding something that was previously unknown or hidden. You would "detect" a signal, but "discover" a new species.

Is it correct to say "the problem was detected" or "the problem was identified"?

Both are correct, but they have slightly different implications. "The problem was "detected"" suggests the problem was noticed. "The problem was identified" implies the problem was not only noticed, but also specifically recognized and named.