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

In 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis began when a U.S. U-2 reconnaissance aircraft captured photographic evidence of Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. —Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024

The first defensive measures to appear in Russian reconnaissance drones were small backward-facing cameras. —David Hambling, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024

The Mars reconnaissance orbiter, with a wingspan the length of a school bus, cost more than $700 million. —Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024

China’s launch rockets, global navigation satellite system capabilities, satellite communications, missile warning systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance continue to improve. —Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2024

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