Meaning & use
industrial espionage
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Meanings
noununcountablebusiness
The practice of secretly obtaining a company's private information, such as designs or formulas, to gain an advantage.
Grammar: Uncountable: industrial espionage is illegal; no plural and no article before it.
Patterns
- commit industrial espionage
- accuse someone of industrial espionage
- a case of industrial espionage
The two firms were accused of industrial espionage after a laptop went missing.
Industrial espionage can cost a company millions in lost research.
Police investigated a case of industrial espionage at the battery plant.
noununcountablebusinessformal
The activity of spying on businesses, especially by hiring people to steal trade secrets.
Grammar: Still uncountable; often used after verbs like engage in or carry out.
Patterns
- engage in industrial espionage
- carry out industrial espionage
Some security firms help companies guard against industrial espionage.
He was jailed for carrying out industrial espionage for a rival.
Common combinations
- corporate espionage
- Corporate espionage cases often involve former employees.
- trade secrets
- The stolen trade secrets were at the heart of the trial.
- steal trade secrets
- The engineer tried to steal trade secrets from his employer.
- security breach
- The company reported a security breach to the police.
- rival company
- A rival company was suspected of paying for the information.
Synonyms and how they differ
- corporate spying
- More informal and slightly less legal-sounding; it fits in conversation but not in a formal report.
- espionage
- A broader term covering spying by governments as well as companies; industrial espionage is specifically about businesses.
- trade-secret theft
- A narrower legal phrase that names the crime rather than the general activity.
Word family
- espionage noun
- The general activity of spying.
- industrial adjective
- Relating to industry or manufacturing.
- industrialist noun
- An owner or manager of a large industry.
- espionage noun
- Spying, especially by governments.
Commonly confused: industrial espionage or corporate espionage? industrial espionage or cyberattack?
industrial espionage vs corporate espionage
Very close in meaning, but 'industrial espionage' often stresses stealing technical or manufacturing secrets, while 'corporate espionage' covers any company information.
industrial espionage vs cyberattack
A cyberattack is a technical attack on computer systems; industrial espionage is the goal of stealing secrets, which may or may not use computers.
Practice
Which sentence uses industrial espionage correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is uncountable, so it takes no article and no plural: 'accused of industrial espionage.' The other options add an article or a plural, which uncountable nouns do not take.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “industrial espionage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.