Home North American English reconnaissance

Definition of reconnaissance in US English:

reconnaissance

noun

1Military observation of a region to locate an enemy or ascertain strategic features.
‘an excellent aircraft for low-level reconnaissance’
‘after a reconnaissance our forces took the island’
as modifier ‘reconnaissance missions’
- ‘Sections and platoons conduct reconnaissance patrols there daily.’
- ‘Our snipers and reconnaissance Marines excelled at this task, as one would expect of trained observers.’
- ‘Eisenhower found out about British preparations for war from US reconnaissance photos.’
- ‘Several apparent terrorist reconnaissance missions at key sites had been observed, the newspaper said.’
- ‘A Pentagon spokesman said a coalition air reconnaissance patrol came under fire and called in air strikes.’
- ‘French, German and US reconnaissance planes would be allowed to patrol the skies.’
- ‘Ark Royal launched many reconnaissances for gun positions and mines from March 13-17.’
- ‘They had to give higher priority to this task if they wanted to avoid enemy air reconnaissance and artillery spotting.’
- ‘Within a decade of that first flight, balloons were used for military reconnaissance in France.’
- ‘It is commonly accepted that military reconnaissance is an indispensable necessity and inherent component of war.’
- ‘A whole new sphere of high-level photographic reconnaissance and its interpretation was to spring from this advance.’
- ‘The commander must be ready to adjust his reconnaissance focus as the situation changes or develops.’
- ‘Two British military liaison and reconnaissance teams have also been deployed - one to Colombo and the second to Indonesian capital Jakarta.’
- ‘It can also carry out reconnaissance, combat support and patrol missions.’
- ‘It will predominantly feature surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.’
- ‘Additionally, there is a finite amount of terrain that supports the movement of reconnaissance forces.’
- ‘For the most part it was considered that air forces would be used primarily for scouting and reconnaissance missions, both overland and at sea.’
- ‘Each of these systems brought some degree of unique reconnaissance capability to the squadron.’
- ‘This indicates that we underestimated the importance of aerial reconnaissance during the war.’
- ‘Are your soldiers familiar with this route, and have they conducted a route reconnaissance?’
preliminary survey, survey, exploration, observation, investigation, examination, inspection, probe, scrutiny, scan
View synonyms
1. 1.1 Preliminary surveying or research.
  ‘conducting client reconnaissance’
  ‘I did carry out a detailed reconnaissance but must have missed the signs suggesting this was a private road.’
  ‘Thus, they may be carrying out reconnaissance of areas for future breeding or staging sites.’
  ‘The Americans were part of a reconnaissance team looking to reopen previously shut oil wells.’
  ‘When we arrived, Mason was still asleep, so I left the rest of the team in the car to conduct a bit of reconnaissance.’