undetectable
|un/de/tect/a/ble|
C1
/ˌʌndɪˈtɛktəbl/
not detectable
Etymology
Etymology Information
'undetectable' originates from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'detectable', which comes from Latin 'detectus', the past participle of 'detegere', meaning 'to uncover'.
Historical Evolution
'detectable' changed from the Latin word 'detectus' and eventually became the modern English word 'detectable', with 'un-' added to form 'undetectable'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'not able to be uncovered', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'not able to be detected'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not able to be detected or discovered.
The virus was undetectable in the blood sample.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45