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Federal Bureau of Investigation

British  

noun

  1. See FBI

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Federal Bureau of Investigation Cultural  
  1. An agency of the United States federal government, long headed by J. Edgar Hoover, which investigates violations of federal (rather than state or local) laws, including kidnaping, smuggling narcotics, and espionage.


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Established in 1908 under the Department of Justice, the FBI earned its reputation in the 1920s and 1930s by apprehending notorious bank robbers and gangsters.

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:

In a congressional hearing after the FBI files release, then-attorney general Pam Bondi stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was waiting to hear from victims or anyone with relevant information.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 23, 2026

Based on the indictment’s details of intercepted communications among the alleged plotters, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency have done fine work.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 17, 2026

But you can report the scam to their bank and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, even if your parent doesn’t.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 6, 2026

The operation targeted networks at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Energy and the Senate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a court filing.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 27, 2026

Agents were now empowered to make arrests and carry firearms, and the department was soon renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

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