reconnaissance

or re·con·nois·sance

[ ri-kon-uh-suhns, -zuhns ]

/ rɪˈkɒn ə səns, -zəns /

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See synonyms for reconnaissance on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of reconnoitering.

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

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

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

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Origin of reconnaissance

1800–10; <French; Middle French reconoissancerecognizance

Words nearby reconnaissance

reconciliatory, recondite, recondition, reconfigure, reconfirm, reconnaissance, reconnaissance car, reconnaissance satellite, reconnect, reconnoiter, reconnoitre

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use reconnaissance in a sentence

Early orbital reconnaissance of Cerberus Fossae suggested that some sort of fluid washed over the area not too long ago in geologic terms.
Rumbles on Mars Raise Hopes of Underground Magma Flows|Robin George Andrews|February 1, 2021|Quanta Magazine
The Cessna was the perfect vehicle for a casual reconnaissance mission.
How One Man Survived a Plane Crash and 5 Days in the Snowy Canadian Wilderness—and Went On to Help Shape the Modern Ski Industry|Cassidy Randall|December 27, 2020|Time
While the Air Force had tried to couch the recent demonstration as being about reconnaissance, in the training exercise that reconnaissance helped select targets for a missile strike.
Air Force A.I. test raises concerns over killer robots|Jeremy Kahn|December 21, 2020|Fortune
Its modular framework excels at gaining powerful administrator privileges, spreading rapidly from computer to computer in networks and performing reconnaissance that identifies infected computers belonging to high-value targets.
One of the Internet’s most aggressive threats could take UEFI malware mainstream|Dan Goodin|December 3, 2020|Ars Technica

The company wanted to demonstrate the drone’s ability to conduct maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Drone Test Flight Moved Out of San Diego Following Safety Concerns|Jesse Marx|October 26, 2020|Voice of San Diego
In a Lynx, however, Harry could take part in reconnaissance missions and transport passengers.
Can Harry Bury the Party Prince?|Tom Sykes|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The New York Times reported that Iran has deployed reconnaissance drones and military equipment to the Iraqi army.
Inside Iran’s Fling With The U.S.|IranWire|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This was a tethered reconnaissance balloon, as first used 220 years ago in the French Revolutionary War.
Why Old-School Airships Now Rule Our Warzones|Bill Sweetman|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On August 18, an IED killed Private First Class Morris Walker and Staff Sergeant Clayton Bowen during a reconnaissance mission.
We Lost Soldiers in the Hunt for Bergdahl, a Guy Who Walked Off in the Dead of Night|Nathan Bradley Bethea|June 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
ASW assets and crews have been diverted to reconnaissance missions in overland and littoral wars.
Tomorrow’s Stealthy Subs Could Sink America’s Navy|Bill Sweetman|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the date of Rose's first reconnaissance to this cellar, these cells were vacant and unguarded.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
Finally, to conclude this preliminary reconnaissance, the attitude of Socialism to religion is wholly unjustifiable.
The Inhumanity of Socialism|Edward F. Adams
It appears somewhat strange that no reconnaissance was made of the Russian position by the generals.
The British Expedition to the Crimea|William Howard Russell
During the diplomatic reconnaissance led by Caulaincourt, the statesmen of these countries had been busy at Fontainebleau.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
During the various expeditions of our reconnaissance I came to employ two distinct methods of working the legs with the lungs.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury

British Dictionary definitions for reconnaissance

reconnaissance

reconnoissance

/ (rɪˈkɒnɪsəns) /

noun

the act of reconnoitring

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

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

Word Origin for reconnaissance

C18: from French, from Old French reconoistre to explore, recognize

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

reconnaissance

or re·con·nois·sance

Origin of reconnaissance

Words nearby reconnaissance

Words related to reconnaissance

How to use reconnaissance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for reconnaissance

reconnoissance

Word Origin for reconnaissance