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