reconnaissance

American  

[ri-kon-uh-suhns, -zuhns] / rɪˈkɒn ə səns, -zəns /

Or reconnoissance

noun

• reconnaissances
  plural

1. the act of reconnoitering.

2. Military. a search made for useful military information in the field, especially by examining the ground.

3. Surveying, Civil Engineering. a general examination or survey of a region, usually followed by a detailed survey.

4. Geology. an examination or survey of the general geological characteristics of a region.

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reconnaissance British  

/ rɪˈkɒnɪsəns /

noun

1. the act of reconnoitring

2. the process of obtaining information about the position, activities, resources, etc, of an enemy or potential enemy

3. a preliminary inspection of an area of land before an engineering survey is made

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• reconnaissances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reconnaissance

1800–10; < French; Middle French reconoissance recognizance

Explanation

Reconnaissance is checking out a situation before taking action. Often it’s used as a military term, but you could also do reconnaissance on a new employee before you hire her, or a resort before you take a vacation. Reconnaissance is a noun, and it technically means “the act of reconnoitering.” Whoa. Never heard that word before? Reconnoitering is just a fancy way of saying that you’re checking something out — sometimes in a sneaky way. If you like a girl in your Spanish class, you might ask a friend to do some reconnaissance to find out what she’s like. The word comes from the French reconnaître, which means “recognize.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reconnaissance reconnaissances

It includes the construction of fortifications, equipment depots, as well as reconnaissance and anti-drone installations.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

But two helicopters will "continue to carry out essential firefighting and reconnaissance missions", said a fire service statement.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

In a rare mention of the country’s spy program earlier this month, he presided over a meeting that called for “radical” enhancements to North Korea’s military reconnaissance and intelligence capabilities, according to state media.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Pyongyang has placed just one spy satellite into orbit, leaving it a long way from the constellation needed for meaningful reconnaissance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

They had participated in secret conversations, received certain assurances, and gone so far as to make reconnaissance forays to outlying parts of the city.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

There will be reconnaissances to Trent Bridge to have a look at Australia's opener, Ed Cowan, who has signed for Nottinghamshire for the early part of the season.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 6, 2013

Taylor was harder on himself than anyone, making personal reconnaissances by Jeep, risking injury unnecessarily by sitting stubbornly at a staff table while shells fell in the courtyard outside.

From Time Magazine Archive

Since then there have been three major reconnaissances of nerves.

From Time Magazine Archive

As an intelligence officer, Mowat is particularly vulnerable when he delivers messages and undertakes reconnaissances.

From Time Magazine Archive

The three squadrons attached to our aerodrome had to the day's credit two long reconnaissances, three offensive patrols, and four bomb raids.

From Cavalry of the Clouds by Alan Bott

Related Words

• exploration
• surveillance