espionage
Americannoun
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the act or practice of spying.
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the use of spies by a government to discover the military and political secrets of other nations.
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the use of spies by a corporation or the like to acquire the plans, technical knowledge, etc., of a competitor.
industrial espionage.
noun
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the systematic use of spies to obtain secret information, esp by governments to discover military or political secrets
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the act or practice of spying
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of espionage
First recorded in 1785–95; from French espionnage, Middle French espionage, from espionn(er) “to spy” (derivative of espion “a spy,” from Italian spione, from Germanic ) + -age -age; see espy
Explanation
It's no secret: espionage is the act of organized spying, usually with the goal of uncovering sensitive military or political information. If the government has relocated you to a foreign country, made you change your name, given you a fake mustache to wear, and instructed you to hide in a closet at the presidential palace and report back weekly on what you overhear, then you are engaging in espionage. This noun is similar to snooping, but generally applies to much more serious situations, like when countries or businesses spy on each other to try to obtain top secret information.
Vocabulary lists containing espionage
Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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Farewell to Manzanar
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World War I
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the past, Beijing has denied involvement in cyber espionage and portrayed itself as one of the world’s foremost victims of hacking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Rhys won for lead actor in a drama series in 2018 for his work on FX’s espionage thriller “The Americans.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Lindsay and Craig Foreman were sentenced to 10 years in jail over espionage charges, which they both deny, and are being held in Evin prison.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Australia's spy chief Mike Burgess singled out Russia last year as an "aggressive espionage threat" to the country.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
But on January 21, Hiss was convicted of perjury relating to his alleged espionage; he could not be tried as a spy because the five-year statute of limitations had run out.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
