reconnoiter
Americanverb (used with object)
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to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.
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to examine or survey (a region, area, etc.) for engineering, geological, or other purposes.
verb (used without object)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reconnoiter
1700–10; < French reconnoître (now obsolete) to explore, Middle French reconoistre. See recognize
Explanation
When you reconnoiter an area, you’re looking around to try to get some kind of feel for the place. It often describes a military action, but you could also reconnoiter the breakroom on the lookout for doughnuts. When you reconnoiter something, you typically explore it with a particular goal in mind. If you’re part of a military group, you might reconnoiter the coast to see where the navy might land. It’s a way to make a preliminary inspection so you can figure out what to do next. If you’re moving to a new city, you might reconnoiter several neighborhoods — you’re sizing them up to see if you might like to live there.
Vocabulary lists containing reconnoiter
In the Know: Cogn, Conn
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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In Cold Blood
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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.
“It’s normal that before operations you reconnoiter and set up these kinds of locations,” said Michael Knights, the head of research for Horizon Engage, a strategic advisory firm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
When Liddy and Hunt go to reconnoiter the psychiatrist’s office, they wear terrible wigs by way of disguise.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2023
A week later, Chelsea Gerlach was sitting in a hotel room, preparing to reconnoiter a potential target, when she saw on TV that a pair of planes had crashed into the World Trade Center.
From New York Times ● May 26, 2022
On Aug. 18, 2009, two days before a national election, I was supposed to partner with Afghan army forces to reconnoiter local polling sites.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 20, 2021
“We have four weeks to reconnoiter the plant, get information on the German guards, and check on the landing site.”
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
