espionage

noun

es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh  -ˌnäj 

-nij

Canadian also -ˌnazh;

ˌe-spē-ə-ˈnäzh;

i-ˈspē-ə-nij

: the practice of spying or using spies to obtain information about the plans and activities especially of a foreign government or a competing company

industrial espionage

Synonyms of espionage

• spying

Examples of espionage in a Sentence

He was charged with several counts of espionage.

the acts of espionage on behalf of the Confederacy carried on by Belle Boyd and Rose Greenhow

Recent Examples on the Web

And James Bond works on a similar frequency, now more a figure of myth—author Ian Fleming died more than six decades ago—than any sort of direct commentary on the merits of western espionage. —Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Instead of adapting a specific film or book from the past 60 years of Bond history, 007 First Light is developer IO Interactive's origin story for its own continuity, starring a younger take on the agent at the start of his espionage journey. —Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026

Currently, he can be seen in the Apple TV series Down Cemetery Road, alongside Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, and Peacock’s espionage thriller The Copenhagen Test with Simu Liu. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 May 2026

Over the past year, a group of lawyers recorded 486 state treason and espionage cases brought against Russian scientists, bureaucrats, military figures, and other government employees. —Anna Nemtsova, Time, 23 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

French espionnage, from Middle French, from espionner to spy, from espion spy, from Old Italian spione, from spia, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German spehōn to spy — more at spy

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

espionage

noun

es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh  -näj 

-ˌnij

: the practice of spying : the use of spies

Legal Definition

espionage

noun

es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh, -ˌnäj, -nij 

: the practice of gathering, transmitting, or losing through gross negligence information relating to the defense of the U.S. with the intent that or with reason to believe that the information will be used to the injury of the U.S. or the advantage of a foreign nation