GEOINT stands for GEOspatial INTelligence, which is an intelligence discipline comprising the exploitation and analysis of geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT data sources include imagery and mapping data, whether collected by commercial satellite, government satellite, aircraft (such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAV] or reconnaissance aircraft), or by other means, such as maps and commercial databases, census information, etc.

There is no universally accepted definition of GEOINT. It has been considered that GEOINT is just a new term used to identify a broad range of outputs from organizations that use a variety of existing spatial skills and disciplines including Photogrammetry , Cartography , Imagery analysis , Remote Sensing , and Terrain Analysis .

In particular, confusion and dissension is caused by the separation of 'imagery' or 'satellite information' from 'geospatial information' as imagery is generally considered just one of the forms which geospatial information might take.

GEOINT can probably best be described as a product occurring at the point of delivery. i.e. by the amount of analysis which occurs to resolve particular problems, not by the type of data used. For example, a database containing a list of measurements of bridges obtained from imagery is 'information' whilst the development of an output using analysis to determine those bridges which are able to be utilised for specific purposes could be termed 'intelligence'.

Similarly the simple measurement of beach profiles is a classical geographic information gathering activity, whilst the process of selecting a beach which matches a certain profile for a specific purpose is an analytical activity, and the output could be termed an intelligence product.

In this form it is considered to be generally used by Agencies requiring simple definitions of their outputs for descriptive and capability development purposes. (or, more cynically, as a marketing strategy).

Notably, the Digital Geographic Information Working Group [1] has twice rejected proposals to have 'Geographic Information' replaced with 'Geospatial Intelligence'.