reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkä-nə-zən(t)s How to pronounce reconnaissance (audio)
-sən(t)s
Synonyms of reconnaissance
: 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
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.
The researchers argued that autonomous underwater vehicles are evolving beyond reconnaissance into combat platforms capable of carrying out complex missions with minimal human involvement. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 But as disasters become more frequent and more complex, today’s generation of search, rescue, surveillance, and reconnaissance technology may not provide the endurance and technological capabilities required for some emergency-response applications. — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 The expenditure of those munitions goes along with other losses of materiel, including fighter jets, airborne early warning and reconnaissance planes, helicopters and drones. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 Reports from 2026 indicate the Gerbera is now used for reconnaissance, communications relay, and direct strike missions against infrastructure. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reconnaissance

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, recognition, from Middle French reconoissance, from Old French reconoistre to recognize

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reconnaissance was in 1779

Browse Nearby Words

recongeal
reconnaissance
reconnaissance in force
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reconnaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconnaissance. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

reconnaissance

noun
re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s How to pronounce reconnaissance (audio)
: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All