counterintelligence
Americannoun
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the activity of an intelligence service employed in thwarting the efforts of an enemy's intelligence agents to gather information or commit sabotage. CI
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an organization engaged in counterintelligence. CI
noun
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activities designed to frustrate enemy espionage
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intelligence collected about enemy espionage
Etymology
Origin of counterintelligence
First recorded in 1935–40; counter- + intelligence
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.
The verdict marked the Justice Department’s first conviction on AI-related economic espionage charges, according to a statement from Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence and espionage division.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
Rodriguez also replaced the head of the presidential guard, who leads the feared counterintelligence unit, and named a new economic czar.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
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 • Dec. 19, 2025
The man appeared in court this week and was detained without bail while a pre-trial investigation was being conducted by the SBU with support from counterintelligence units.
From BBC • Oct. 29, 2025
Franklin checked with Washington’s counterintelligence expert John Jay, but Jay did not know anything about Bonvouloir.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
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.
