Definition

The act of secretly listening to someone's phone conversations by connecting a device to the phone line.

Example

The police used wiretapping to gather evidence in the investigation.

Conversation

Did you hear about that scandal involving wiretapping at the company?

Yeah, it’s crazy how they were monitoring employees without consent.

I can't believe people actually do wiretapping in the workplace.

I know right? It really breaks trust between employees and management.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

The act of secretly listening to or recording someone's conversations, usually without their knowledge, often for legal or investigative purposes.

Example

The police were accused of wiretapping the suspect's phone without a warrant.

Tense Forms

Conversation

I heard some crazy news about wiretapping incidents lately.

Really? What happened?

They found out that some companies were wiretapping their employees' phones.

Root Explanation

Wiretapping → It is formed from "wire" (from Old English *wīr*, meaning a slender, flexible strand of metal) and "tapping" (from Middle English *tap*, meaning to strike lightly or to make contact). The word describes the act of making contact with a wire to listen in on communications.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'slender strand of metal' ('wire') that you 'strike lightly' ('tapping') to listen in on conversations. This helps you remember that wiretapping is about intercepting communication through wires.

Visually Confused Words