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Glite Dictionary
SIGINT

SIGINT

1 7.5
Information people collect by secretly listening to phone calls or reading electronic messages like emails
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪɡɪnt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : SIGINT
  • It was, perhaps, the most audacious act of SIGINT-related espionage ever attempted.
  • SIGINT signals intelligence

Examples

  • I was talking with Hank Forrester and I wanted to know, are all of our SIGINT programs specifically targeted?

    Snowden (2016)

  • During the operation, the analysts reviewed SIGINT to track the movements of the targeted group.

  • In fact, we're moving you out of SIGINT entirely.

    Burn After Reading (2008)

  • Every day, I'd go in and I'd get starting points for SIGINT, which is signals intelligence.

    Snowden (2016)

  • The Chinese used their own PHOTINT and SIGINT signals intelligence systems to track and locate our battle fleet, countering our tactics of EMCON emissions control to hide en route to the target area.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The intelligence team analyzed the SIGINT to identify potential threats in the region.

  • Effective use of SIGINT can provide crucial insights into enemy communications.

Synonyms

signals intelligence
vsSIGINT
  • Specialized
2 3.9

Information you get by intercepting and studying electronic communications like phone calls and radio transmissions

is narrower, focusing on electronic communications and transmissions rather than telemetry

Surface Forms

SIGINT singular
SIGINTs plural

Morphology

SIGINT = S + I + G + I + N + T

SIGINT is an acronym formed from initial letters (Signals Intelligence) rather than a productive morphological formation, so knowledge of the component letters does not help learners infer the meaning.

Etymology

SIGINT is a military short form made from the words signals and intelligence, meaning 'information taken from electronic signals'. So SIGINT refers to collecting and studying radio, phone and other electronic signals to learn what an opponent is doing.