agency
Americannoun
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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:
The agency said its officers are trained to enforce immigration laws while protecting public safety and complying with federal law.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
It is assigning no value whatsoever to these environmental benefits, thereby ignoring the very health concerns the agency was created to address.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026
While North Dakota’s Workforce Safety and Insurance agency built a $1.2 billion surplus, its payouts for lost wages and medical benefits declined.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
For its part, Gaza's civil defence agency reported "extensive damage" on a storage facility for what it said were medicines and medical supplies belonging to Al-Aqsa Hospital.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Khrushchev was a showman and a gambler, agency doctors concluded.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Under federal law, agencies generally have an opportunity to review and respond before claimants can pursue litigation in court.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
Maybe it’s time for U.S. intelligence agencies to tell us what they know about the Chinese models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In many areas of the San Joaquin Valley, water agencies have adopted flat fees, so the largest landowners are paying the same per-volume rate as the smallest ones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
In a statement quoted by news agencies, a spokesperson added that it took "full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners".
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
I doubt any partnership would have sought to game the rating agencies, or leapt into bed with loan sharks, or even allowed mezzanine CDOs to be sold to its customers.
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.
