countersurveillance

noun

coun·​ter·​sur·​veil·​lance ˌkau̇n-tər-sər-ˈvā-lən(t)s How to pronounce countersurveillance (audio)
 also  -ˈvāl-yən(t)s,
 or  -ˈvā-ən(t)s
variants or counter-surveillance
: methods and devices used for detecting or thwarting surveillance
agents trained in countersurveillance
When countersurveillance is employed by seasoned practitioners, it is used to identify the vehicles and individuals conducting the surveillance … This information is then used by the individual to thwart the hostile surveillance. Glenn McGovern
often used before another noun
countersurveillance cameras
a counter-surveillance specialist

Examples of countersurveillance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In 2018, after media accounts revealed one such donor’s under-the-table contributions to an Australian senator—who then provided countersurveillance advice to the Chinese donor—the senator was forced to resign his seat. Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020 Most notoriously, an ambitious young senator, Sam Dastyari, was exposed for parroting Communist Party talking points and giving countersurveillance advice to a Chinese political donor before being hounded into premature retirement. John Garnaut, Foreign Affairs, 9 Mar. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of countersurveillance was in 1959

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Countersurveillance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countersurveillance. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!