reconnoiter

American  

[ree-kuh-noi-ter, rek-uh-] / ˌri kəˈnɔɪ tər, ˌrɛk ə- /

verb (used with object)

1. to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.

2. to examine or survey (a region, area, etc.) for engineering, geological, or other purposes.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make a reconnaissance.

Other Word Forms

• reconnoiterer
  noun
• unreconnoitered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of reconnoiter

1700–10; < French reconnoître (now obsolete) to explore, Middle French reconoistre. See recognize

Explanation

When you reconnoiter an area, you’re looking around to try to get some kind of feel for the place. It often describes a military action, but you could also reconnoiter the breakroom on the lookout for doughnuts. When you reconnoiter something, you typically explore it with a particular goal in mind. If you’re part of a military group, you might reconnoiter the coast to see where the navy might land. It’s a way to make a preliminary inspection so you can figure out what to do next. If you’re moving to a new city, you might reconnoiter several neighborhoods — you’re sizing them up to see if you might like to live there.

Example Sentences

Filled with hydrogen, they were used to reconnoiter enemy positions, their passengers hand-sketching battlefield maps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

When Liddy and Hunt go to reconnoiter the psychiatrist’s office, they wear terrible wigs by way of disguise.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2023

A week later, Chelsea Gerlach was sitting in a hotel room, preparing to reconnoiter a potential target, when she saw on TV that a pair of planes had crashed into the World Trade Center.

From New York Times • May 26, 2022

On Aug. 18, 2009, two days before a national election, I was supposed to partner with Afghan army forces to reconnoiter local polling sites.

From Washington Post • Aug. 20, 2021

Besides, he wanted time both to reconnoiter the way to Watership and to organize the expedition.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams