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.
"It's senseless. It's a video you can never unwatch," Micah McCombs, special agent in charge with Homeland Security Investigations, said during a news conference on Friday.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Patel has shown up to events in hooded sweatshirts and sneakers and sometimes wears a badge despite not being a special agent.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
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
Rafael Barrows, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami field office, said no law enforcement agents were harmed in the incident.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
Tom was a dedicated family man, but like his father he was attracted to the darkness, and in 1917 he took the oath to become a special agent of the Bureau of Investigation.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
