Standard Lemma guide

reconnoiter

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˌɹwɛkəˈnɔɪ̯thə]
  • US: /ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtɚ/
  • US: [ˌɹɣɛkəˈnɔɪ̯ɾɚ]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY2 K AH0 N OY1 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An act or instance of reconnoitering.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Examples

  • The pilot reported the findings of his reconnoiter.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To perform a reconnaissance (of an area; an enemy position); to scout with the aim of acquiring information.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, intransitive, transitive

Topics: government, military, politics, war

Examples

  • Our scout will reconnoiter the path ahead of our troops.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

explore, often with the goal of finding something or somebody

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scout, reconnoitre

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: observe

History

Etymology

From French reconnoître (obsolete spelling of reconnaître), from Latin recognoscere (“to recognize”). Contrarily, there is also an obsolete 19th-century British English spelling reconnaitre (now reconnoitre).

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: разве́дка (razvjédka) — instance of reconnoitering
  • Belarusian: рэкагнасцыро́ўка (rekahnascyrówka) — instance of reconnoitering
  • Bulgarian: разузна́ване (razuznávane) — instance of reconnoitering
  • German: Erkundung — instance of reconnoitering
  • German: Auskundschaftung — instance of reconnoitering
  • German: Aufklärung — instance of reconnoitering
  • German: Auskundschaften — instance of reconnoitering
  • German: Aufklären — instance of reconnoitering
  • German: Erkunden — instance of reconnoitering
  • Irish: taiscéalaíocht — instance of reconnoitering
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rekognosering — instance of reconnoitering
  • Russian: разве́дка (razvédka) — instance of reconnoitering
  • Russian: рекогносциро́вка (rekognosciróvka) — instance of reconnoitering
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝзвидница — instance of reconnoitering
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìzvidnica — instance of reconnoitering
  • Ukrainian: ро́звідка (rózvidka) — instance of reconnoitering
  • Ukrainian: розві́дка (rozvídka) — instance of reconnoitering
  • Ukrainian: рекогносциро́вка (rekohnoscyróvka) — instance of reconnoitering
  • Bulgarian: разузнавам (razuznavam) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Chinese Mandarin: 偵察 /侦察 (zhēnchá) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Finnish: tiedustella — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • French: reconnaître — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • German: erkunden — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • German: auskundschaften — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • German: aufklären — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌷𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biniuhsjan) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Hindi: सर्वेक्षण (sarvekṣaṇ) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Hungarian: felderít — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Irish: taiscéalaíocht a dhéanamh — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Japanese: 偵察する (teisatsu suru) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Korean: 정찰(偵察)하다 (jeongchal-hada) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Latin: speculor — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Māori: hūhunu — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Māori: hunuhunu — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Māori: ārohi — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Māori: torotoro — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Māori: torohē — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Polish: przeprowadzać rekonesans — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Polish: badać teren — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Russian: разве́дывать (razvédyvatʹ) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Russian: разве́дать (razvédatʹ) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Russian: рекогносци́ровать (rekognoscírovatʹ) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Serbo-Croatian: izviđati — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Spanish: reconocer — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Spanish: campear — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Spanish: correr la campaña — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Ukrainian: розві́дувати (rozvíduvaty) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Ukrainian: розві́дати (rozvídaty) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Ukrainian: рекогносцирува́ти (rekohnoscyruváty) — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore
  • Welsh: rhagchwilio — perform a reconnaissance — see also scout, explore