Meanings
nounindustrial espionage (uncountable)
- uncountableespionageThe use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage.
1 more example
The American Consul at Leipzig requested the Chamber of Commerce of that city to furnish him with certain information concerning the preparation of rabbit’s skin for the hat trade. The Chamber replied that, although it was desirous of promoting the trade of Germany with foreign countries, it must, as a matter of principle, decline to furnish technical reports on German manufactures that would be likely to assist foreign competitors. The Leipziger Faerber Zeitung published the following, headed “Unfair Competition & Industrial Espionage" by the Consuls of the United States.”
1899 April 29, “What Our Consuls are Doing for American Trade”, in Scientific American, page 261 - uncountableSpying by an employer on labor union activities of employees and on labor unions.First known use ca. 1920—1960
Origin
Translations
Arabic تَجَسُّس صِنَاعِيّ
- تَجَسُّس صِنَاعِيّ (tajassus ṣināʕiyy)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Chinese Mandarin 商業間諜活動 /商业间谍活动, 工業間諜活動 /工业间谍活动
- 商業間諜活動 /商业间谍活动 (shāngyè jiàndié huódòng)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
- 工業間諜活動 /工业间谍活动 (gōngyè jiàndié huódòng)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
- 商业间谍活动 (gōngyè jiàndié huódòng)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Czech průmyslová špionáž
- průmyslová špionážuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Danish industrispionage
- industrispionageuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Dutch bedrijfsspionage
- bedrijfsspionageuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Esperanto industria spionado
- industria spionadouse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Estonian tööstusspionaaž
- tööstusspionaažuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Finnish teollisuusvakoilu
- teollisuusvakoiluuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
French espionnage industriel
- espionnage industrieluse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
German Wirtschaftsspionage
- Wirtschaftsspionageuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Greek βιομηχανική κατασκοπεία
- βιομηχανική κατασκοπεία (viomichanikí kataskopeía)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Hebrew ריגול תעשייתי
- ריגול תעשייתיuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Hungarian ipari kémkedés
- ipari kémkedésuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Italian spionaggio industriale
- spionaggio industrialeuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Japanese 産業スパイ
- 産業スパイ (sangyō supai)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Korean 산업 스파이
- 산업 스파이 (saneop seupai)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Lithuanian ekonominė žvalgyba
- ekonominė žvalgybause of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Malay pengintipan industri, pengintipan perindustrian
- pengintipan industriuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
- pengintipan perindustrianuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
- espionaj industriuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
- espionaj perindustrianuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Norwegian industrispionasje
- industrispionasjeuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Persian جاسوسی صنعتی
- جاسوسی صنعتی (jâsusi-ye san'ati)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Polish wywiad gospodarczy
- wywiad gospodarczyuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Portuguese espionagem industrial
- espionagem industrialuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Romanian spionaj industrial, spionaj economic
- spionaj industrialuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
- spionaj economicuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Russian промы́шленный шпиона́ж
- промы́шленный шпиона́ж (promýšlennyj špionáž)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Spanish espionaje industrial
- espionaje industrialuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Swedish industrispionage
- industrispionageuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Thai จารกรรมทางอุตสาหกรรม
- จารกรรมทางอุตสาหกรรม (jaa-rá-gam taang ùt-sǎa-hà-gam)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Ukrainian промислове шпигунство
- промислове шпигунство (promyslove špyhunstvo)use of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Vietnamese tình báo kinh tế
- tình báo kinh tếuse of clandestine methods to acquire secret information for commercial advantage
Cite this entry
APA
industrial espionage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/industrial%20espionage
MLA
“industrial espionage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/industrial%20espionage. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “industrial espionage,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/industrial%20espionage.
Source: industrial espionage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.