espionage

American  

[es-pee-uh-nahzh, -nij, es-pee-uh-nahzh] / ˈɛs pi əˌnɑʒ, -nɪdʒ, ˌɛs pi əˈnɑʒ /

noun

1. the act or practice of spying.

2. the use of spies by a government to discover the military and political secrets of other nations.

3. the use of spies by a corporation or the like to acquire the plans, technical knowledge, etc., of a competitor.

   industrial espionage.

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espionage British  

/ ˌɛspɪəˈnɑːʒ, ˈɛspɪəˌnɑːʒ, ˈɛspɪənɪdʒ /

noun

1. the systematic use of spies to obtain secret information, esp by governments to discover military or political secrets

2. the act or practice of spying

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Other Word Forms

• nonespionage noun

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; espy

Example Sentences

Some of the cases related to serving as an unregistered foreign agent, a charge Bondi ordered prosecutors to stop pursuing unless they involved “conduct similar to more traditional espionage by foreign government actors.”

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Scrutiny of Chinese-made routers has intensified recently over signs that foreign hackers use these devices for espionage.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

The former head of France's foreign intelligence service warned in 2023 of a "massive espionage operation" launched by Beijing in 2014 -- if not earlier -- via social media, notably LinkedIn.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The original three-hour-34-minute Dhurandhar delivered a high-octane mix of espionage, gang wars and patriotic fervour.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

His rough, loudmouthed ways belied a serious, hard-charging approach to life—and to espionage.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• intelligence