espionage

[ es-pee-uh-nahzh, -nij, es-pee-uh-nahzh ]

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.

espionage

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• non·espi·o·nage noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of espionage¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of espionage¹

C18: from French espionnage, from espionner to spy, from espion spy, from Old Italian spione, of Germanic origin; compare German spähen to spy

Example Sentences

Ken McCallum, MI5 director general, meanwhile, has previously warned of a sustained campaign on an "epic scale" of Chinese espionage abroad.

From BBC

Meanwhile, China is a "sophisticated and persistent challenge", the review warns, and is "likely to continue seeking advantage through espionage and cyber attacks" and is expected to have 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.

From BBC

Allegations and rumours of espionage, especially in sensitive subjects, have loomed over Chinese nationals at US universities in recent years, even derailing some careers.

From BBC

It takes on espionage, it’s a wartime thriller, also a “Star Wars” story, but also very much about how revolutions start and the kind of people that set those sort of events in motion.

From Los Angeles Times

Boyce impressed his bosses and was soon cleared to enter the steel-doored fortress called the “black vault,” a classified sanctum where he was exposed to sensitive CIA communications pertaining to America’s network of espionage satellites.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• intelligence