reconnaissance

American  

[ri-kon-uh-suhns, -zuhns] / rɪˈkɒn ə səns, -zəns /

Or reconnoissance

noun

1. the act of reconnoitering.

2. Military. a search made for useful military information in the field, especially by examining the ground.

3. Surveying, Civil Engineering. a general examination or survey of a region, usually followed by a detailed survey.

4. Geology. an examination or survey of the general geological characteristics of a region.

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reconnaissance British  

/ rɪˈkɒnɪsəns /

noun

1. the act of reconnoitring

2. the process of obtaining information about the position, activities, resources, etc, of an enemy or potential enemy

3. a preliminary inspection of an area of land before an engineering survey is made

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Etymology

Origin of reconnaissance

1800–10; < French; Middle French reconoissance recognizance

Explanation

Reconnaissance is checking out a situation before taking action. Often it’s used as a military term, but you could also do reconnaissance on a new employee before you hire her, or a resort before you take a vacation. Reconnaissance is a noun, and it technically means “the act of reconnoitering.” Whoa. Never heard that word before? Reconnoitering is just a fancy way of saying that you’re checking something out — sometimes in a sneaky way. If you like a girl in your Spanish class, you might ask a friend to do some reconnaissance to find out what she’s like. The word comes from the French reconnaître, which means “recognize.”

Example Sentences

Officials involved want to accelerate Europe’s production of vital equipment in fields where Europe lags behind the U.S., including anti-submarine warfare, space and reconnaissance capabilities, in-flight refueling and air mobility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

By the time of my visit, that brigade had put about 100 soldiers through a monthlong course focused on electronic warfare, the use of drones for reconnaissance and strikes, countering drones and tactics, says Maj.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

During World War Two he served as a reconnaissance pilot in the Royal Air Force, then in the late 1940s emigrated to Canada.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The drones are capable of strikes but are only being used for reconnaissance, said Nigerian Major General Samaila Uba.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Hooker was the one who had two hot-air balloons up in the sky giving him perfect aerial reconnaissance of his enemy’s positions.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• exploration
• surveillance