Meaning & use
reconnaissance
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablemilitary
The act of exploring an area to gather information, especially about an enemy's position or military activity.
Grammar: Typically uncountable; can be used with 'a' when referring to a particular mission: a reconnaissance.
Patterns
- reconnaissance of an area
- conduct reconnaissance
- a reconnaissance mission
- reconnaissance in force
The soldiers were sent on a reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines.
Drones are often used for aerial reconnaissance.
The commander ordered reconnaissance of the valley before advancing.
noununcountable
A preliminary survey or exploration of an area to gather general information.
Grammar: Used in non-military contexts, such as business or geography.
Patterns
- do reconnaissance
- reconnaissance of a site
- reconnaissance for a project
The company did some reconnaissance of the local market before launching its product.
We spent the morning doing reconnaissance of the hiking trail.
The team carried out reconnaissance to find the best location for the new office.
Common combinations
- reconnaissance mission
- The pilot flew a reconnaissance mission over the border.
- aerial reconnaissance
- Aerial reconnaissance provided clear images of the enemy camp.
- conduct reconnaissance
- The scouts conducted reconnaissance of the surrounding forest.
- reconnaissance patrol
- A reconnaissance patrol was sent ahead to check for danger.
- do reconnaissance
- Before the event, they did reconnaissance to find the best entrance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- survey
- A general examination of an area, often for non-military purposes; less specific than reconnaissance.
- exploration
- Focuses on discovering new things, not necessarily gathering strategic information.
- scouting
- Similar but often used for sports or informal searching; reconnaissance is more formal and military.
Word family
- reconnoiter verb
- To make a reconnaissance; to explore an area to gather information.
Commonly confused: reconnaissance or recon?
reconnaissance vs recon
Recon is an informal shortening of reconnaissance, used especially in military and business contexts.
Practice
The general ordered a ______ of the enemy's positions before the attack.
Choose one answer.
Reconnaissance is the noun meaning the act of gathering information. Reconnoiter is a verb, so it would need a different sentence structure. Reconcilable means able to be made consistent, and reconstitute means to rebuild or restore.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reconnaissance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.