Standard Lemma guide

detectable

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪˈtɛktəbəɫ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 T EH1 K T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Able to be detected, noticeable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • There was a detectable pause before he continued. We all noticed it but no one commented.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

easily seen or detected

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a detectable note of sarcasm
  • he continued after a perceptible pause

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perceptible

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

capable of being detected

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • after a noticeable pause the lecturer continued

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: noticeable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English detect Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English detectable From detect + -able.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: откриваем (otkrivaem) — that which can be detected
  • Dutch: detecteerbaar — that which can be detected
  • French: détectable — that which can be detected
  • Hungarian: kimutatható — that which can be detected
  • Hungarian: észrevehető — that which can be detected
  • Italian: rilevabile — that which can be detected
  • Polish: odczuwalny — that which can be detected
  • Polish: wykrywalny — that which can be detected
  • Portuguese: detectável — that which can be detected
  • Portuguese: detetável — that which can be detected
  • Romanian: detectabil — that which can be detected
  • Spanish: detectable — that which can be detected
  • Turkish: ortaya çıkarılabilir — that which can be detected
  • Turkish: keşfedilebilir — that which can be detected