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

Many of the vessels were sunk in very deep water, and a reconnaissance mission would require a significant amount of time and funds, by which point the more than 80-year-old wrecks could be little more than rust stains on the seafloor. —Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2025

Israel would also halt military and aerial reconnaissance activity over Gaza for 10 hours each day, and up to 12 hours on the days on the days in which hostages and prisoners were exchanged. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025

Russia’s defense ministry said in a readout its forces targeted a Ukrainian enterprise that produces missile weapons and drones, a military reconnaissance center and the position of a U.S.-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. —Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025

In addition to our generally limited understanding of the global seafloor, Bell and her colleagues also found a significant bias in the regions that did have visual reconnaissance. —Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 9 May 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