agency

American  

[ey-juhn-see] / ˈeɪ dʒən si /

noun

agencies plural

1. an organization, company, or bureau that provides a particular service.

   We are a nonprofit agency for people experiencing food insecurity.

2. a company having a franchise to represent another.

   Perhaps we should be looking for a new advertising agency.

3. a governmental bureau or administrative division, or an office that represents it.

   My internship at the FDA led to job opportunities with other federal agencies.

4. the place of business of an agent.

   If you stop by the agency tomorrow, we can go over the details of the land sale.

5. Indian agency.

6. the duty or function of an agent.

7. the relationship between a principal and an agent.

   Investment firms must incentivize proper agency so that fund managers prioritize the investor’s interests over their own.

8. the state of being in action or of exerting power; operation.

   the agency of divine Providence.

9. the capacity to act or exert power.

   We may have our free agency, but we are responsible for our choices.

10. a means of exerting power or influence; instrumentality.

    nominated by the agency of friends.

    Synonyms:

    intercession

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agency British  

/ ˈeɪdʒənsɪ /

noun

1. a business or other organization providing a specific service

   an employment agency

2. the place where an agent conducts business

3. the business, duties, or functions of an agent

4. action, power, or operation

   the agency of fate

5. intercession or mediation

6. one of the administrative organizations of a government

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subagency
  noun
• underagency
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• agencies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of agency

First recorded in 1650–60; from Medieval Latin agentia “ability,” from Latin ag(ere) “to do, drive” + -entia -ency

Explanation

An agency usually provides a service, like an aid organization or a government bureau. If you're looking for a job, an employment agency might be able to help. The Latin word agere means "to do or manage," and it's a fitting ancestor for agency, a word that means an institution that manages or specializes in something. As a secret agent, you might work for the CIA, or Central Intelligence Agency. I hope you look good in black. The noun agency also refers to the power or ability to do something, as in the William McKinley quote, "War should never be entered upon until every agency of peace has failed.”

Example Sentences

District Court Judge David O. Carter ordered the VA to build 2,500 units in addition to the 1,200 the agency agreed to build to settle the earlier case.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

After your mother’s death, if she received Medicaid-funded nursing-home care, the Nebraska Medicaid agency may attempt to be reimbursed for care costs out of whatever remains of the estate, including her interest in the home.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

The agency is weighing other rules, including ones geared toward protecting retail traders, the people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

On Tuesday, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Xi as saying he had reached "an important consensus with Kim on developing China-DPRK relations in the new era", using North Korea's official acronym.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Perhaps most damagingly, two private eyes, including one from the Burns agency, tried to expose the bureau’s main informant, Kelsie Morrison.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• bureau
• company
• department
• firm
• office