espionage
/ˈespiənɑːʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈespiənɑːʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh -ˌnäj -nij Canadian also -ˌnazh; ˌe-spē-ə-ˈnäzh; i-ˈspē-ə-nij/ (ame, mw)
espionage — noun
1. the secret act of collecting private or protected information about a government
the secret act of collecting private or protected information about a government, organization, or rival company, usually for political or financial gain.
The journalist was arrested for espionage after sharing classified documents with a foreign embassy.
passive: arrested for espionage after [specific action]
Christopher worked as an undercover agent for ten years before retiring from espionage.
The company accused a former employee of industrial espionage after trade secrets reached a rival.
Apinya found that many spy novels exaggerate the violence of real-world espionage.
Stefan's father worked in intelligence but never discussed his espionage missions at home.
- spying
more everyday and informal; 'espionage' sounds more official and is preferred in legal and news contexts
- intelligence gathering
broader term that includes both secret and open methods of collecting information
- surveillance
focuses on watching or monitoring people/places, not necessarily on stealing secrets
文法句型
espionage + noun (espionage mission, espionage case)
adjective + espionage (industrial espionage, cyber espionage)
用法筆記
This noun is uncountable; do not use 'an' or 'one' before it. Commonly appears in formal or journalistic writing, often in set phrases such as 'industrial espionage', 'cyber espionage', and 'counter-espionage'.