reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkä-nə-zən(t)s 

-sən(t)s

: a preliminary survey to gain information

especially : an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

Examples of reconnaissance in a Sentence

There are two helicopters available for reconnaissance.

They did a reconnaissance of the enemy's position.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, South Korea selected the platform for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions with its Navy and Marine Corps, with deployment expected later this decade. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 June 2026

Unlike other riders who have already been on reconnaissance trips of certain key stages, Vingegaard will not go on any scouting missions. —Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 June 2026

Projects such as Mythos have demonstrated how artificial intelligence can be weaponized to accelerate cyberattacks, assist with reconnaissance, identify weaknesses and support the penetration of target environments. —Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Before then, Sweden’s security services had mostly observed reconnaissance for potential attacks, intelligence gathering or activity linked to cybercriminals. —Emma Burrows, Fortune, 30 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, recognition, from Middle French reconoissance, from Old French reconoistre to recognize

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s 

: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information