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Synonyms

scouting

American  
[skou-ting] / ˈskaʊ tɪŋ /

noun

  1. an act or instance of reconnoitering; reconnaissance.

  2. the activities of a scout or scouts.

  3. (often initial capital letter) the program of activities of the Boy Scouts or the Girl Scouts.


scouting British  
/ ˈskaʊtɪŋ /

noun

    1. the activities, programmes, principles, etc, of the Scout Association

    2. ( as modifier )

      the international Scouting movement

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of scouting

First recorded in 1635–45; scout 1 + -ing 1

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.

See Examples For:

The owner of the Little Nell is expanding to include Rockefeller Center’s first hotel and scouting other locations in Florida and the French Alps.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 7, 2026

A 30-foot sailboat stolen in mid-March from a local scouting nonprofit was recovered Monday by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 27, 2026

“My philosophy on the draft is to let the scouting director and his team do their jobs,” Mozeliak said.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 27, 2026

That is how it is presented to you when you are scouting someone to sign them, unless it is a top priority and you would watch full games.

From BBC Jun. 22, 2026

She persuaded the czar to let her fly for Russia as a military reconnaissance pilot, scouting out the best direction for soldiers on the ground to fire their guns.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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