espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh 
-ˌnäj
-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
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
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
The firm’s history is something of a warning on the impact of oversaturation of markets by Chinese products — and a marker of the state of U.S.-China economic relations, which are strained due to investment prohibitions and espionage concerns, among other issues.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
With stunning locations, death-defying stunts, and a twisty espionage plot, the film was a huge inspiration for early James Bond movies (From Russia With Love notably pays homage to Hitchcock’s movie with its incredible helicopter chase sequence).
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
He has been indicted on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of the classified documents.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images The UK high court has extended WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s hope to avoid espionage charges in the United States, allowing Assange to further challenge his extradition from the UK to the US.
—Dell Cameron Matt Burgess, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Accusations of cyber espionage have long been a major point of friction between Beijing and Washington, with the US indicting a series of Chinese hackers in recent years.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
The ministry — under the direct control of the Chinese leadership — is taking over for the People’s Liberation Army, which directed most of the espionage attacks on American companies, intended to steal corporate secrets or defense designs.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
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
The firm’s history is something of a warning on the impact of oversaturation of markets by Chinese products — and a marker of the state of U.S.-China economic relations, which are strained due to investment prohibitions and espionage concerns, among other issues.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
With stunning locations, death-defying stunts, and a twisty espionage plot, the film was a huge inspiration for early James Bond movies (From Russia With Love notably pays homage to Hitchcock’s movie with its incredible helicopter chase sequence).
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
He has been indicted on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of the classified documents.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images The UK high court has extended WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s hope to avoid espionage charges in the United States, allowing Assange to further challenge his extradition from the UK to the US.
—Dell Cameron Matt Burgess, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Accusations of cyber espionage have long been a major point of friction between Beijing and Washington, with the US indicting a series of Chinese hackers in recent years.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
The ministry — under the direct control of the Chinese leadership — is taking over for the People’s Liberation Army, which directed most of the espionage attacks on American companies, intended to steal corporate secrets or defense designs.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'espionage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near espionage
Cite this Entry
“Espionage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espionage. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh
-näj
-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
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