reconnaissance
noun
re·con·nais·sance
ri-ˈkä-nə-zən(t)s 
-sən(t)s
: 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
Besides Bombadier, other major aircraft manufacturers in Canada include De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, which makes turboprop planes and aircraft designed for maritime patrols and reconnaissance, and European aerospace giant Airbus.
—
Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
According to the Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi, the robot was a reconnaissance-strike ground unit dubbed Droid TW, built by Ukrainian defense company DevDroid.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Besides Bombardier, other major aircraft manufacturers in Canada include De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, which makes turboprop planes and aircraft designed for maritime patrols and reconnaissance, and European aerospace giant Airbus.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The aircraft saw operational use in Vietnam and other military campaigns before being adapted for high-altitude reconnaissance roles.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconnaissance
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.
Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
According to the Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi, the robot was a reconnaissance-strike ground unit dubbed Droid TW, built by Ukrainian defense company DevDroid.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 29 Jan. 2026
Besides Bombardier, other major aircraft manufacturers in Canada include De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, which makes turboprop planes and aircraft designed for maritime patrols and reconnaissance, and European aerospace giant Airbus.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The aircraft saw operational use in Vietnam and other military campaigns before being adapted for high-altitude reconnaissance roles.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconnaissance
Cite this Entry
“Reconnaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconnaissance. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reconnaissance
noun
re·con·nais·sance
ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s
: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
