espionaje

espionage

noun ehs-pyoh-NAH-heh Rare

Origin: From French espionnage, from espion (spy), of Germanic origin.

Also means

spying

Usage Note

Espionaje is the standard term for the act of spying, used in political, military, and fiction contexts. The related noun espía (spy) is common gender: el espía, la espía. The phrase novela de espionaje (spy novel) or película de espionaje (spy film) is a fixed collocation. It entered Spanish via French in the 18th century.

Examples

"Fue arrestado por espionaje industrial."

Natural Translation

He was arrested for industrial espionage.

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