special agent
Americannoun
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an investigator in a law enforcement agency.
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an insurance sales representative.
Etymology
Origin of special agent
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
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.
FBI special agent Alex Doran said earlier Sunday that a motive for the attack was not known but "there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism."
From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026
Alex Doran, the acting special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in San Antonio, said it was too early to know the shooter’s motive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
The DEA provided 3,417, which would be some 70 percent of its special agent workforce.
From Slate • Feb. 9, 2026
Thursday and a second demand with a Monday deadline, said Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix division.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
He’s a handsome special agent, always solving mysteries and saving people and getting trapped in deadly situations and figuring a way out at the last second.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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.
