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

• 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

But unlike Rocha, they were accused of conspiring to commit espionage because the FBI retrieved proof of their communications with the Cuban intelligence services via shortwave radio. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024

Regardless, the statesman viewed his openness in diplomatic dealings as a defense against espionage. —Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024

No one marries the suspense of espionage with a deep exploration of the human soul quite like le Carré. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024

But the gorgeous duo’s inevitable attraction never distracts from the danger — or the stakes of even the most tangential espionage. —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024

Another American accused of espionage is Paul Whelan, a corporate executive from Michigan. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 30 Mar. 2024

Manning was convicted at a court-martial of espionage and other charges in 2013 for leaking secret military files to WikiLeaks. —Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024

Federal prosecutors would file 30 charges against Al-Halabi, including espionage and aiding the enemy. —Tamara Audi, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

If even Epstein’s secret cabal is exposed to this kind of mediocre corporate espionage, then there truly is no place anybody can hide from the roving eye of the data brokerage industry. —Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024

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