espionage

Meaning

The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means.

Synonyms

spying

intelligence

secret service

secret

㊙️

spy

undercover

undercover work

disguised

spial

informer

ninja

🥷

prying

Translations

espionnage

Spionage

espionaje

spionage

Schwarzarbeit

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɛs.pi.ə.ˌnɑːʒ/

Etymology

Cognate with Italian: spione

In summary

Recorded since 1793, from French espionnage, from espionner (“to spy”), from Middle French espionner (“to spy”), from espion (“spy”), from Old French espion (“spy”), from Frankish *spehō (“spy”), from Frankish *spehōn (“to spy”), from Proto-Germanic *spehōną (“to spy, peek, peer”). In modern times, the French pronunciation of the s, which had fallen silent since the 13th century, was restored due to the influence of Italian spione (“spy”), and was therefore also adopted by the English. More at spy.