espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh 
-ˌnäj
-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
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
Their commitment to authentic portrayals of geopolitics and the espionage business, set inside compelling dramas, makes this a natural home for my work.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2026
Gallo, an Argentine national security officer who García says is innocent, was arrested in 2024 and charged with espionage and terrorism after crossing the Colombian-Venezuelan border to reunite with his partner and young son.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
With Claire under suspicion of espionage, she was forced to marry Lord John Grey (David Berry) for protection — a development the very much alive Jamie did not take kindly to upon his return, having taken a different passage home.
—Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
And this is an even more important skill to have on Appian's board, as the company is on the verge of coming into an at least $500 million windfall from a corporate espionage lawsuit filed against Pega.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for espionage
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Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2026
Gallo, an Argentine national security officer who García says is innocent, was arrested in 2024 and charged with espionage and terrorism after crossing the Colombian-Venezuelan border to reunite with his partner and young son.
—Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
With Claire under suspicion of espionage, she was forced to marry Lord John Grey (David Berry) for protection — a development the very much alive Jamie did not take kindly to upon his return, having taken a different passage home.
—Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
And this is an even more important skill to have on Appian's board, as the company is on the verge of coming into an at least $500 million windfall from a corporate espionage lawsuit filed against Pega.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for espionage
Cite this Entry
“Espionage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espionage. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh
-näj
-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
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