espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh 
-ˌnäj
-ˌnäj
-nij,
Canadian also -ˌnazh;
ˌe-spē-ə-ˈnäzh;
i-ˈspē-ə-nij
: the practice of spying or using spies to obtain information about the plans and activities especially of a foreign government or a competing company
industrial espionage
Examples of espionage in a Sentence
He was charged with several counts of espionage.
the acts of espionage on behalf of the Confederacy carried on by Belle Boyd and Rose Greenhow
Recent Examples on the Web
Richard Gere is set to star opposite Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright in The Agency, the upcoming espionage political thriller series for Paramount+ with Showtime.
—
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 July 2024
The case marks the first time since the Cold War that an American journalist has been put on trial for espionage in Russia.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
Assange was wanted by US authorities on espionage charges connected to Wikileaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of sensitive military and government documents supplied by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010 and 2011.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 25 June 2024
She had been charged and convicted of espionage in 2013.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for espionage 
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 July 2024
The case marks the first time since the Cold War that an American journalist has been put on trial for espionage in Russia.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
Assange was wanted by US authorities on espionage charges connected to Wikileaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of sensitive military and government documents supplied by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010 and 2011.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 25 June 2024
She had been charged and convicted of espionage in 2013.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for espionage
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'espionage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near espionage
Cite this Entry
“Espionage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espionage. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh
-näj
-näj
-ˌnij
: the practice of spying : the use of spies
Legal Definition
espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh, -ˌnäj, -nij
: the practice of gathering, transmitting, or losing through gross negligence information relating to the defense of the U.S. with the intent that or with reason to believe that the information will be used to the injury of the U.S. or the advantage of a foreign nation
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