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

With a flight duration of up to 70 minutes, the operator has sufficient time for reconnaissance, target selection and decision making for the attack, according to a press release. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026

The hackers’ system was built using open-source AI agents to automate and coordinate much of the intrusion, including reconnaissance, credential attacks and strategizing subsequent attack paths, Dream said. — John Liu, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

The helicopter involved in the crash is the AH-64 Apache, which carries a pilot and a co-pilot and is meant for reconnaissance, attacks on armored targets and aerial support for ground troops. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

The handover of the INS Drakon is expected to significantly bolster Israel's underwater strike and reconnaissance capabilities, The Algemeiner reported. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 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