reconnaissance

re·con·nais·sance
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/ɹɪˈkɒnɪsəns//ɹiˈkɒnɪsəns//ɹəˈkɒnəsəns/

noun

The act of scouting or exploring (especially military or medical) to gain information.

Similar
reconnaissance mission
OriginFrench reconnaissance →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounreconnaissance (countable and uncountable, plural reconnaissances)

plural reconnaissances · alternative recce · alternative recon · alternative reconnoissance

  1. countableuncountableThe act of scouting or exploring (especially military or medical) to gain information.

    The third member, Sergeant Pieter Rousseau, had been with the back-up teams at the Hub; he was an expert on space reconnaissance instrumentation, but on this trip he would have to depend on his own eyes and a small portable telescope.

    1973, Arthur C. Clarke, Rendezvous with Rama

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe act of reconnoitring (especially to gain information about an enemy or potential enemy)

Similar
reconnaissance mission
Broader
intelligenceintelligence activityintelligence operation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchreconnaissance“recognition”
  2. Englishreconnaissance

Borrowed from French reconnaissance (“recognition”). Doublet of recognizance.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اِسْتِطْلَاع
  • اِسْتِطْلَاع (istiṭlāʕ)act of gathering information
Bulgarian разузна́ване, рекогносциро́вка
  • разузна́ване (razuznávane)act of gathering information
  • рекогносциро́вка (rekognosciróvka)act of gathering information
Chinese Mandarin 偵察 /侦察, 選點 /选点
  • 偵察 /侦察 (zhēnchá)act of gathering information
  • 選點 /选点 (xuǎndiǎn)act of gathering information
Czech průzkum
  • průzkumact of gathering information
Danish rekognoscering
  • rekognosceringact of gathering information
Dutch verkenning
  • verkenningact of gathering information
Esperanto rekognosko
  • rekognoskoact of gathering information
Estonian luure
  • luureact of gathering information
Finnish tiedustelu
  • tiedusteluact of gathering information
French reconnaissance
  • reconnaissanceact of gathering information
German Aufklärung, Kundschaft
  • Aufklärungact of gathering information
  • Kundschaftact of gathering information
  • Auskundschaftungact of gathering information
  • Auskundschaftenact of gathering information
Greek αναγνώριση
  • αναγνώριση (anagnórisi)act of gathering information
Hebrew סִיּוּר
  • סִיּוּר (si'úr)act of gathering information
Hungarian felderítés, információszerzés
  • felderítésact of gathering information
  • információszerzésact of gathering information
Indonesian pengintaian, penyelidikan
  • pengintaianact of gathering information
  • penyelidikanact of gathering information
Italian ricognizione
  • ricognizioneact of gathering information
Japanese 偵察
  • 偵察 (teisatsu)act of gathering information
Korean 정찰
  • 정찰 (jeongchal)act of gathering information
Latvian rekognoscēšana
  • rekognoscēšanaact of gathering information
Lithuanian žvalgyba, žvalgymas
  • žvalgybaact of gathering information
  • žvalgymasact of gathering information
Māori ārohitanga
  • ārohitangaact of gathering information
Norwegian Bokmål rekognosering
  • rekognoseringact of gathering information
Polish rekonesans, zwiad
  • rekonesansact of gathering information
  • zwiadact of gathering information
Portuguese reconhecimento
  • reconhecimentoact of gathering information
Romanian recunoaștere, cercetare
  • recunoaștereact of gathering information
  • cercetareact of gathering information
Russian разве́дка, рекогносциро́вка
  • разве́дка (razvédka)act of gathering information
  • рекогносциро́вка (rekognosciróvka)act of gathering information
Slovak prieskum
  • prieskumact of gathering information
Spanish reconocimiento, conocimiento
  • reconocimientoact of gathering information
  • conocimientoact of gathering information
  • descubiertaact of gathering information
Swedish rekognosering
  • rekognoseringact of gathering information
Thai การลาดตระเวน, การสอดแนม
  • การลาดตระเวน (gaan-lâat-dtrà-ween)act of gathering information
  • การสอดแนม (gaan-sɔ̀ɔt-nɛɛm)act of gathering information
  • การสำรวจ (gaan-sǎm-rùuat)act of gathering information
Turkish keşif
  • keşifact of gathering information
Ukrainian ро́звідка, розві́дка
  • ро́звідка (rózvidka)act of gathering information
  • розві́дка (rozvídka)act of gathering information
  • рекогносциро́вка (rekohnoscyróvka)act of gathering information
  • рекогносцирува́ння (rekohnoscyruvánnja)act of gathering information
Cite this entry
APA

reconnaissance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reconnaissance

MLA

“reconnaissance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reconnaissance. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reconnaissance,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reconnaissance.

Source: reconnaissance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.