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

Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, aside from commercial customers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2026

The Milnet system has been under development for several years and involves both the Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. spy agency focused on classified satellites.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

A US Air Force plane from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, flies into the eye of Hurricane Melissa, as the category 5 Hurricane approaches Jamaica.

From Barron's • Oct. 28, 2025

For the study, the researchers primarily used data from Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, instruments onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been orbiting the Moon since 2009.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

In May 1962, Horan was sent to the American base in Okinawa, Japan, and assigned to Charlie Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• exploration
• surveillance