espionage

noun

es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh  -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

Synonyms

• spying

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

Taking place during the first Gulf War in the 1990s, the story campaign expertly sets the latest chapter amid an intriguing time of espionage and has the mission design chops to bolster the narrative. —Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024

China has issued a strong rebuke to the United States, accusing it of hypocrisy over espionage following recent Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) efforts to recruit Chinese informants. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024

His career, his real identity and his mission are pitted against his heart, hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage. —Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024

While attempting to extradite him from the U.K., American authorities alleged Assange breached espionage laws by helping former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning crack a U.S. Department of Defense computer in 2010. —Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

espionage

noun

es·​pi·​o·​nage ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh  -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