reconnaissance

noun

Definition of reconnaissancenext
as in surveillance
military activity in which soldiers, airplanes, etc., are sent to find out information about an enemy There are two helicopters available for reconnaissance. reconnaissance missions

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reconnaissance China has since created spacecraft for communications; navigation; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance that would have been unimaginable to PLA officials who observed Desert Storm. — Kathleen Curlee, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026 This 10-minute control cuts off that reconnaissance and stops attackers from redirecting replies or password-reset messages. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Although presented publicly as civilian technologies, some of the Salyut spacecraft were secretly developed and deployed as reconnaissance platforms equipped with state-of-the-art cameras and other intelligence collection utilities. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026 The number includes both airplanes and helicopters as well as drones, with the MQ-9 Reaper drone – used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support and combat search and rescue – accounting for more than half of the losses. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reconnaissance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reconnaissance
  1. surveillance
  2. observation
Noun
  • Criminal charges against the ICE officer who drove the vehicle are being considered by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, after surveillance footage contradicted ICE’s claim that Parra Hernandez stepped in front of the vehicle.
    — Lekan Oyekanmi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Witness statements and video surveillance showed Lindo drawing a black handgun during an argument involving several individuals, including a professional UFC fighter.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of surveillance
Noun
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Matt Schnaars, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro’s observations in a separate session.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of observation

Browse Nearby Words

reconfirmations
reconnaissance
reconnect
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reconnaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reconnaissance. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on reconnaissance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reconnaissance

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All