counterintelligence
38
7.4
- noun
- /ˌkaʊntərɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/
- Specialized
:
contrainteligencia
- He became integral to our counterintelligence ops in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
- counterintelligence investigation
- intelligence and counterintelligence
- CIA counterintelligence
I was targeted by what my friend Tim Gallaudet would call counterintelligence, and they weren't.
- I was targeted by what my friend Tim Gallaudet would call counterintelligence, and they weren't.
- But what you expect counterintelligence and disinformation agents to do is to do exactly that.
Examples
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The FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
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The principal objective of counterintelligence is prevention, not detection and punishment after the fact.
Academic text (1990) -
And, Mr. Clark, did your counterintelligence division make a report as well?
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The Office of Special Investigations is the Air Force's counterintelligence unit.
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Counterintelligence picked this up from an enemy agent.
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I'm an Assistant Director of Counterintelligence.
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By early 1993, CIA counterintelligence officers had launched an investigation to find out who wrote the letters.
Blog text (28) -
Again, Zirkle reminded him, he would have to cooperate with the counterintelligence investigation.
Blog text (28) -
Do you know that he used to be liaison for Counterintelligence at Interpol?
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The FBI, as part of its counterintelligence mission, is investigating foreign espionage activities.
Synonyms
1
8.0
Actions to find and stop enemy spies
Antonyms
How Sophisticated
- Specialized
38
7.4
- Jargon
- Specialized
33
6.5
61
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
counterintelligence = intelligence (transparent) = counter + intelligence
Meaning is directly built from the productive prefix 'counter-' (against) + 'intelligence' (espionage/information), so the sense 'activities opposing intelligence operations' is predictable.
Etymology
The word counterintelligence comes from counter- meaning 'against', as in counterattack, and intelligence meaning 'information' or 'spy work'. So, counterintelligence is the work of finding and stopping enemy spies and their harmful actions.