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
Under his leadership, Hezbollah launched exploding and reconnaissance drones deep into Israel, penetrating its defense systems which had mostly focused on the group’s rockets and missiles.
—
Kareem Chehayeb, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2024
This new spacecraft will join a fleet of optical and radar reconnaissance satellites operated by Japan's Cabinet Satellite Information Center.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2024
The Mars reconnaissance orbiter, with a wingspan the length of a school bus, cost more than $700 million.
—Mustafa Aksoy, The Conversation, 27 Sep. 2024
But a last-ditch reconnaissance mission in August revealed reemerging springs after a few weeks of heavy rain.
—Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reconnaissance 
Kareem Chehayeb, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2024
This new spacecraft will join a fleet of optical and radar reconnaissance satellites operated by Japan's Cabinet Satellite Information Center.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2024
The Mars reconnaissance orbiter, with a wingspan the length of a school bus, cost more than $700 million.
—Mustafa Aksoy, The Conversation, 27 Sep. 2024
But a last-ditch reconnaissance mission in August revealed reemerging springs after a few weeks of heavy rain.
—Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reconnaissance
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reconnaissance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to reconnaissance
Dictionary Entries Near reconnaissance
Cite this Entry
“Reconnaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconnaissance. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reconnaissance
noun
re·con·nais·sance
ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s
: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share