counterespionage
noun
coun·ter·es·pi·o·nage
| \ ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh
, -ˌnäj, -nij, Canadian also -ˌnazh; -ˌe-spē-ə-ˈnäzh; -ə-ˈspē-ə-nij\
, -ˌnäj, -nij, Canadian also -ˌnazh; -ˌe-spē-ə-ˈnäzh; -ə-ˈspē-ə-nij\
Definition of counterespionage
: the activity concerned with detecting and thwarting enemy espionage
Examples of counterespionage in a Sentence
He was involved in counterespionage against Germany in World War II.
Recent Examples on the Web
Working in a United States attorney’s office, Mr. Ratcliffe would have worked with F.B.I. agents investigating terrorism and counterespionage cases. — Nicholas Fandos, New York Times, "Trump’s Pick for Top Intelligence Post Overstated Parts of His Biography," 30 July 2019 The Iranian official did not give his name but was identified as the director of the counterespionage department of Iran's Intelligence Ministry. — Aya Batrawy, chicagotribune.com, "Iran says it has arrested 17 spies recruited by CIA; Trump says claim has ‘zero truth’," 22 July 2019 The official did not give his name but was identified as the director of the counterespionage department of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry. — Washington Post, "The Latest: Iran says 17 CIA spies arrested, some sentenced," 22 July 2019 The Iranian official did not give his name but was identified as the director of the counterespionage department of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry. — Nasser Karimi, BostonGlobe.com, "Iran says it arrested 17 CIA spies, some sentenced to death," 22 July 2019 Diplomatic ties with China, which buys around a quarter of Australia’s exports, soured this year after Mr. Turnbull tightened counterespionage laws amid concerns that Beijing had interfered in the country’s politics. — David Winning, WSJ, "A Battle for the Soul of Conservatism Plays Out in Australia," 24 Aug. 2018 Strzok has served in the FBI for more than two decades, and eventually became the lead agent on the bureau’s counterespionage team. — Andrew Prokop, Vox, "The FBI just fired Peter Strzok," 13 Aug. 2018 Shirley Mercier, 86, a CIA officer for 30 years who specialized in counterintelligence and counterespionage in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, died Nov. 14 at a care center in Orange, Conn. — Washington Post, "The story must be told.," 22 Jan. 2018 The counterespionage operation was directed by the Shin Bet and carried out with the cooperation of the Mossad, which is Israel’s national intelligence agency, and Israel’s military intelligence. — Isabel Kershner, New York Times, "Israel Charges a Former Minister With Spying for Iran," 18 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counterespionage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for counterespionage
counterespionage
noun
English Language Learners Definition of counterespionage
formal
: the activity of preventing or stopping enemies from spying
See the full definition for counterespionage in the English Language Learners Dictionary