counterintelligence

noun

coun·​ter·​in·​tel·​li·​gence ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈte-lə-jən(t)s 

: organized activity of an intelligence service designed to block an enemy's sources of information, to deceive the enemy, to prevent sabotage, and to gather political and military information

Examples of counterintelligence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The police have already arrested the Defense Minister, the chief of the National Police, the head of the Metropolitan Police and the military counterintelligence commander for collaborating in the insurrection. —Joohee Cho, ABC News, 14 Dec. 2024

He was detained in 2021 by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou, after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19. —Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024

Leung, who also holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, was apprehended by China's counterintelligence agency in Suzhou. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers, Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, said Mr. Yoon called after imposing martial law and ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. —Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

counterintelligence

noun

coun·​ter·​in·​tel·​li·​gence ˌkau̇nt-ə-rin-ˈtel-ə-jən(t)s 

: activities of an intelligence service meant to hide the truth from an enemy or to prevent the enemy from learning secret information