Espionnage

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of secretly obtaining information, especially government or military secrets
2. the practice of covert surveillance to gather intelligence for strategic advantage
3. engaging in clandestine operations to discover confidential data or plans

Etymology: Espionage came into English from French, and its ancestry runs through Italy before reaching a Germanic root that English shares. The French "espion" (spy) was borrowed from Italian "spione," which came from a Germanic verb related to Old High German "spehon," meaning "to spy." That same root gave English its native "spy," so the French term is a close cousin of the English word. French formed "espionnage" by adding the suffix "-age" to "espionner," a verb meaning to spy on someone, which grew from "espion." English took the noun ready-made, with the suffix already attached. Its core sense has stayed steady: the practice of secretly gathering information, usually by watching or listening to others.

Synonyms: espionage, spying, intelligence gathering, reconnaissance