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
: the activity concerned with detecting and thwarting enemy espionage
Example Sentences
He was involved in counterespionage against Germany in World War II.
Recent Examples on the Web The Times has also reported that on June 3, after Trump's lawyers met with Jay Bratt, the head of the Justice Department's counterespionage section, and FBI agents, Bobb signed a statement attesting that all the sensitive material had been returned. 
Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2022 To fight Kaos, the counterespionage organization Control had the greatest technology, most unfathomable in the 1960s. Andy Kessler, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2022 But the South’s counterespionage authorities are equally determined to thwart the North’s operation, carefully screening newly arriving defectors from the North, like Ms. Song, to catch anyone linked to its efforts. New York Times, 29 Nov. 2021 Haugen worked on Facebook’s Civic Integrity team, focusing on misinformation and counterespionage. Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2021 And her role on Facebook’s civic integrity team, working on misinformation and counterespionage, uniquely positioned her to have insight into some of the company’s most significant challenges. Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2021 Haugen argued that Facebook understaffs a counterespionage team, which is overwhelmed by Chinese and other state actors who use the platform to track political opponents and spread disinformation. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2021 Operating with little oversight, the obscure unit opened cases ranging from counterespionage to background searches on US residents who wrote innocuous letters to the department’s top official, the review found. BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2021 The Senate report laid out how those fears fueled an aggressive, unauthorized counterespionage effort inside a department that houses scientific agencies staffed by researchers from around the world. New York Times, 16 July 2021 See More
Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2022 To fight Kaos, the counterespionage organization Control had the greatest technology, most unfathomable in the 1960s. Andy Kessler, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2022 But the South’s counterespionage authorities are equally determined to thwart the North’s operation, carefully screening newly arriving defectors from the North, like Ms. Song, to catch anyone linked to its efforts. New York Times, 29 Nov. 2021 Haugen worked on Facebook’s Civic Integrity team, focusing on misinformation and counterespionage. Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2021 And her role on Facebook’s civic integrity team, working on misinformation and counterespionage, uniquely positioned her to have insight into some of the company’s most significant challenges. Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2021 Haugen argued that Facebook understaffs a counterespionage team, which is overwhelmed by Chinese and other state actors who use the platform to track political opponents and spread disinformation. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2021 Operating with little oversight, the obscure unit opened cases ranging from counterespionage to background searches on US residents who wrote innocuous letters to the department’s top official, the review found. BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2021 The Senate report laid out how those fears fueled an aggressive, unauthorized counterespionage effort inside a department that houses scientific agencies staffed by researchers from around the world. New York Times, 16 July 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1899, in the meaning defined above
counterespionage
noun
as in counterintelligence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- counterintelligence
- espionage
- spying
- intelligence
- reconnaissance
- tradecraft
- cloak-and-dagger
- surveillance
- wiretapping
- bugging
- observation
- eavesdropping
- lowdown
- dope
- goods