MI6

American

[em-ahy-siks] / ˈɛmˌaɪˈsɪks /

noun

the government's secret intelligence service.

MI6 British

abbreviation

Military Intelligence, section six; a former official and present-day popular name for the intelligence and espionage agency of the British Government

"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

Etymology

Origin of MI6

M(ilitary) I(ntelligence, Section) 6

Compare meaning

How does mi6 compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

MI5 vs. MI6

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.

My character is approached by MI5 and MI6.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

Sir Alex, who led MI6 between 2014 and 2020, held a career in British intelligence that spanned almost three decades after joining the service in 1991.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

The MI6 agent with a license to kill was one of the main attractions for the e-commerce giant when it acquired MGM in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Like many cases involving MI5 and MI6, this one takes place partly in secret to allow the government to use evidence it deems too sensitive to disclose publicly, or to al-Libi and his lawyers.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Only two years after Blake's return to London, MI6 transferred him to its espionage station in Berlin.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023