espionage
Americannoun
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the act or practice of spying.
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the use of spies by a government to discover the military and political secrets of other nations.
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the use of spies by a corporation or the like to acquire the plans, technical knowledge, etc., of a competitor.
industrial espionage.
noun
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the systematic use of spies to obtain secret information, esp by governments to discover military or political secrets
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the act or practice of spying
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of espionage
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; see espy
Explanation
It's no secret: espionage is the act of organized spying, usually with the goal of uncovering sensitive military or political information. If the government has relocated you to a foreign country, made you change your name, given you a fake mustache to wear, and instructed you to hide in a closet at the presidential palace and report back weekly on what you overhear, then you are engaging in espionage. This noun is similar to snooping, but generally applies to much more serious situations, like when countries or businesses spy on each other to try to obtain top secret information.
Vocabulary lists containing espionage
Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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Farewell to Manzanar
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World War I
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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.
LONDON—A U.K. immigration official and Hong Kong trade official have been found guilty of helping the Chinese state spy on dissidents in Britain, the first convictions related to Chinese espionage in British history.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
At least one Japanese executive, with a Japanese drugmaker and a leading figure in Japan’s business community in Beijing, was sentenced for espionage.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
In a social media post, Germany's foreign ministry said they did not tolerate espionage in the country, "particularly not under the cover of diplomatic status."
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Lindsay, a 53-year-old life coach, and her husband Craig, 52, were on a round-the-world motorcycle trip when they were arrested on suspicion of espionage in January 2025 - charges they adamantly deny.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
As Golos's lover and his main espionage protégée, Elizabeth Bentley quickly became indispensable to Stalin's underground operation in the United States.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
