agency
Americannoun
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agencies
plural
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an organization, company, or bureau that provides a particular service.
We are a nonprofit agency for people experiencing food insecurity.
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a company having a franchise to represent another.
Perhaps we should be looking for a new advertising agency.
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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.
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the place of business of an agent.
If you stop by the agency tomorrow, we can go over the details of the land sale.
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the duty or function of an agent.
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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.
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the state of being in action or of exerting power; operation.
the agency of divine Providence.
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the capacity to act or exert power.
We may have our free agency, but we are responsible for our choices.
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a means of exerting power or influence; instrumentality.
nominated by the agency of friends.
- Synonyms:
- intercession
noun
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a business or other organization providing a specific service
an employment agency
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the place where an agent conducts business
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the business, duties, or functions of an agent
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action, power, or operation
the agency of fate
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intercession or mediation
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one of the administrative organizations of a government
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing agency
"The Harlem Renaissance"
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President Obama's Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
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Word Generation Social Studies - Complex Questions Related to American Democracy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I would not recommend going deeply into hydrogen today,” said Derek Toups, deputy planning director of a small transit agency in Santa Cruz, when asked directly on a panel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Global oil demand is set for a deeper contraction this year as renewed hostilities in the Middle East and shipping disruptions push up fuel prices and weigh on consumption, the agency said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
It was also deploying helicopters to bring emergency supplies directly to survivors in isolated communities, the Antara state news agency quoted the commander of El Tari Air Base in Kupang as saying.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Gen. Hossein Mohebbi said in an interview with the Guard-affiliated Tasnim news agency in July.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The Friedmans were not about to trust their library to the same agency that had ransacked it.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
And there are just four public filling stations and 10 private ones at transit agencies to serve them, according to the California Energy Commission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Flock Safety claims over 5,000 law enforcement agencies use its license plate readers to help locate missing persons, catch thieves and identify suspicious vehicles.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
In the healthcare sector, nursing beds are being taken offline and some home-care agencies are halting admissions, said Katie Smith Sloan, chief executive of LeadingAge, which represents aging-services providers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
It’s worth noting that the IEA, like other agencies such as the U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
“We of course thought that the ratings agencies had more data than we had,” said Eisman.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
