counterintelligence
noun
coun·ter·in·tel·li·gence
ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈte-lə-jən(t)s 
: organized activity of an intelligence service designed to block an enemy's sources of information, to deceive the enemy, to prevent sabotage, and to gather political and military information
Examples of counterintelligence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns that the plane could pose significant security risks and potentially grant a foreign nation access to sensitive systems and communications, raising counterintelligence issues.
—
Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 29 May 2025
Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats, which have been declassified, showed that information about Papadopoulos’ contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 of potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
The security service, Russia’s main counterintelligence agency, said President Vladimir Putin had pardoned Karelina before Thursday’s swap, the AP reported.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2025
Several Democratic senators are questioning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over President Trump’s acceptance of a jet from Qatar, stressing in a letter the national security risks and counterintelligence concerns inherent in such a transaction.
—Sophia Vento, The Hill, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterintelligence
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 29 May 2025
Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats, which have been declassified, showed that information about Papadopoulos’ contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 of potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
The security service, Russia’s main counterintelligence agency, said President Vladimir Putin had pardoned Karelina before Thursday’s swap, the AP reported.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2025
Several Democratic senators are questioning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over President Trump’s acceptance of a jet from Qatar, stressing in a letter the national security risks and counterintelligence concerns inherent in such a transaction.
—Sophia Vento, The Hill, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterintelligence
Cite this Entry
“Counterintelligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterintelligence. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
counterintelligence
noun
coun·ter·in·tel·li·gence
ˌkau̇nt-ə-rin-ˈtel-ə-jən(t)s
: activities of an intelligence service meant to hide the truth from an enemy or to prevent the enemy from learning secret information
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share