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

Wrapped in this composite, stealth fighters, reconnaissance drones, and military aircraft could cut their weight. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

These often work in coordination with flying drones such as Russian Geran drones that provide aerial reconnaissance and can boost communication between drone operators and drone boats, Sutton explained. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026

For military drones, a reliable navigation system is essential because combat and reconnaissance drones must be able to reach their targets with absolute precision. — New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026

Know More The 10-hour hack started when the (human) bad guy deployed an AI agent to do reconnaissance to figure out how to breach the company. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026

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