counterintelligence

American  

[koun-ter-in-tel-i-juhns] / ˌkaʊn tər ɪnˈtɛl ɪ dʒəns /

noun

1. the activity of an intelligence service employed in thwarting the efforts of an enemy's intelligence agents to gather information or commit sabotage. CI

2. an organization engaged in counterintelligence. CI

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counterintelligence British  

/ ˌkaʊntərɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns /

noun

1. activities designed to frustrate enemy espionage

2. intelligence collected about enemy espionage

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Etymology

Origin of counterintelligence

First recorded in 1935–40; counter- + intelligence

Example Sentences

He married his first wife, fellow CIA agent Nancy Segebarth, in 1969, before being sent to Turkey as a counterintelligence officer to recruit foreign agents.

From BBC

At least two of them were seized by agents working for Venezuela's military counterintelligence agency, while others were detained by Venezuela's intelligence service.

From BBC

“Fidel Castro’s security detail had 10,000 officers and its own counterintelligence unit.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Andrés Izarra, a former Venezuelan minister who broke with the regime and now lives in exile, recalled how Cuban counterintelligence officials kept a close eye for any sign of dissent.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ahead of Friday’s release, CNN reported that the Justice Department was racing to redact thousands of pages of documents, with insiders describing the redaction process as a top priority for counterintelligence specialists.

From Salon