espionage

noun

es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh How to pronounce espionage (audio) -ˌnäj How to pronounce espionage (audio)
-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 Beijing officials have repeatedly denied espionage claims by the U.S. government, and the TikTok ban is no different. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 It was recently announced that the streamer had ordered an untitled espionage sci-fi thriller series from the company with Simu Liu attached to star. Joe Otterson, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024 Such action would mirror trade restrictions placed against companies like Huawei over national security concerns that the telecom giant could be exploited by the Chinese government for espionage. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 29 Feb. 2024 He was arrested on espionage charges that American officials say are false. Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Critics argue that the Act, by its nature, precludes a fair trial for those accused of espionage by limiting the defense's ability to argue the public interest of their disclosures. Susie Violet Ward, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. explores the legacy of global espionage, making its history legible and compelling to a contemporary audience. Brett Berk, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 Recent advances in artificial intelligence have also prompted fears that the data could be analyzed in more powerful ways to enable profiling and espionage, including of activists, journalists and political figures. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 That includes both creative forms of espionage—Russian targeting of Ukrainian street cameras as part of their drone targeting, Hezbollah targeting road cameras to monitor logistics movements. Garrett M. Graff, WIRED, 21 Feb. 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.

Word History

Etymology

French espionnage, from Middle French, from espionner to spy, from espion spy, from Old Italian spione, from spia, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German spehōn to spy — more at spy

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of espionage was in 1793

Dictionary Entries Near espionage

Cite this Entry

“Espionage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espionage. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

espionage

noun
es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh How to pronounce espionage (audio) -näj How to pronounce espionage (audio)
-ˌnij
: the practice of spying : the use of spies

Legal Definition

espionage

noun
es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh, -ˌnäj, -nij How to pronounce espionage (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on espionage

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