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.

---

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

---

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

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

Moreover, North Korea doesn’t have the massive satellite networks that allow countries like the U.S. and Russia to undertake advanced reconnaissance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Mohammad Bashir, 31, drove Jihad Al-Shamie on a 10-hour round trip to conduct hostile reconnaissance at the UK's Defence Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, on 14 August 2025.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

"Military reconnaissance takes on a different meaning under a state-to-state approach, as intelligence activities targeting another sovereign state can carry diplomatic implications," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

We have made a preliminary reconnaissance and have encountered some of the inhabitants.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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

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

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

His careful reconnaissances and skilful leading were invaluable to Wellington in the Vittoria campaign, and to the end of the war he was one of the 230 most trusted men of his staff.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 2 "Gloss" to "Gordon, Charles George" by Various

Related Words

• exploration
• surveillance