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

The agency said the test demonstrated the reconnaissance drone’s ability to track multiple targets and monitor troop movements on land and at sea, potentially enhancing North Korea’s intelligence-gathering operations and ability to neutralize enemy threats. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Photos released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency showed Kim observing a large reconnaissance drone resembling the U.S.-made RQ-4B Global Hawk, first unveiled during a 2023 military exhibition. —Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Drone warfare has been revolutionized by the war in Ukraine, and all global militaries are looking for new ways to weave drones into their armed forces for a variety of roles, including reconnaissance and carrying out strikes. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025

United States reconnaissance aircraft deployed at a military hub in the Western Pacific Ocean has collected thousands of hours of intelligence data about China and North Korea. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025

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