espionage en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Recorded since 1793, from French espionnage, from espionner (“to spy”), from Middle French espionner (“to spy”), from espion (“spy”), from Old French espion (“spy”), from Frankish *spehō (“spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to spy, peek, peer”). In modern times, the French pronunciation of the s, which had fallen silent since the 13th century, was restored due to the influence of Italian spione (“spy”), and was therefore also adopted by the English. More at spy.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means.
The results of this investigation to date indicate that there is probable cause to believe that, beginning in 1985 and continuing to the present, ROBERT PHILIP HANSSEN (hereinafter “HANSSEN”), a United States citizen, has conspired […] to commit espionage against the United States on behalf of a foreign government, specifically the Soviet Union or Russia, and has in fact engaged in such espionage.
2001 February, Stefan A. Pluta, “United States of America v. Robert Philip Hanssen: Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint, Arrest Warrant and Search Warrants”, in United States District Court, archived from the original on 30 Jun 2025, page 3:So intolerable did Heavy Benson's espionage become, that Raynham would have grown depopulated of its womankind had not Adrian interfered, who pointed out to the Baronet what a fearful arm his butler was wielding.
1859, George Meredith, chapter 16, in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. A History of Father and Son. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC:What a freak show! I mean, how often do you meet a wrestling librarian? Yeah, about as often as you meet a high schoolgirl involved in international espionage… Okay, bad example.
2003 June 20, Joseph Purdy, “Totally Switched”, in Totally Spies!, season 2, episode 19, spoken by Alexandra “Alex” (Andrea Taylor as Clover and Katie Leigh), Marathon Media, via Teletoon:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| espionages | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
nonespionage · espiocrat · industrial espionage · counter-espionage · cyberespionage · counterespionage · sexpionage · lexpionage · antiespionage
Relateds
spycraft · spywork · tradecraft
Synonyms
Translations (96)
km ចារកម្ម (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ru шпиона́ж (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · yi שפּיאָנאַזש (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · pl wywiad (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ka აგენტურა (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · eo spionado (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · it spionaggio (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ja スパイ罪 (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · is njósnir (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · vi hoạt động tình báo (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · am ስለላ (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · yue 間諜活動 /间谍活动 (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · tl pagbatyaw (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ky шпионаж (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · hi जासूसी (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · mi mahi tūtei (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · lo ຈາຣະກັມ (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · lt žvalgyba (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ro spionaj (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · pl szpiegostwo (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ko 스파이 행위 (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ur جاسُوسی (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · nb spionasje (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · pt espionagem (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · is njósn (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ar جَاسُوسِيَّة (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · gl espionaxe (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ms pengintipan (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ug جاسۇسلۇق (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ca espionatge (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ab ашпио́наж (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · es espionaje (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · et spionaaž (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sk špionáž (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ar تَجَسُّس (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · eu espioitza (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · prs جَاسُوسِی (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sv spionage (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · id spionase (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · fa-ira جاسوسی (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · tr casusluk (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sl vohunstvo (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · da spionage (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · kk тыңшылық (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · be шпіяна́ж (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · hi चारवृत्ति (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ja スパイ行為 (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · bg шпиона́ж (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · uz shpionlik (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · fi vakoilu (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · te వేగు (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ko 간첩죄 (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · kmr xefnêrî (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · el κατασκοπεία (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · hy լրտեսություն (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · uk шпіона́ж (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · cmn 間諜活動 /间谍活动 (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · zdj udjasusi (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ab аԥшы́хәра (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · id pengintaian (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · mn тагнуул (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sh špijunáža (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · tg ҷосусӣ (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · lv spiegošana (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · hi गुप्तचर्या (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ka შპიონაჟი (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · cs špionáž (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · tab жасусвал (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ps جاسوسي (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · mi tūteitanga (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · kmr sîxurî (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · hu kémkedés (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sh шпијуна́жа (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · tr espiyonaj (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · kmr cesûsî (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · el κατασκοπία (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sv spioneri (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ja 間諜罪 (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · nl spionage (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · th จารกรรม (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · de Spionage (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · uz josuslik (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · nn spionasje (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · af spioenasie (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sq spiunazh (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · bo ཉུལ་ཞིབ་པ (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · fr espionnage (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · sah үспүйүөннээһин (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · he רִגּוּל (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · mk шпиона́жа (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · ky тыңчылык (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · bn গুপ্তচরবৃত্তি (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · he ריגול (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · tl espiyonahe (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · az casusluq (act of learning secret information through clandestine means) · uk шпигу́нство (act of learning secret information through clandestine means)