agency

[ ey-juhn-see ]

noun

, plural a·gen·cies.

1. an organization, company, or bureau that provides a particular service:

   We are a nonprofit agency for people experiencing food insecurity.

2. a company having a franchise to represent another:

   Perhaps we should be looking for a new advertising agency.

3. 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.

4. the place of business of an agent:

   If you stop by the agency tomorrow, we can go over the details of the land sale.

5. Indian agency.
6. the duty or function of an agent.
7. 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.

8. the state of being in action or of exerting power; operation:

   the agency of divine Providence.

9. the capacity to act or exert power:

   We may have our free agency, but we are responsible for our choices.

10. a means of exerting power or influence; instrumentality:

    nominated by the agency of friends.

    Synonyms: intercession

agency

/ ˈeɪdʒənsɪ /

noun

1. a business or other organization providing a specific service

   an employment agency

2. the place where an agent conducts business
3. the business, duties, or functions of an agent
4. action, power, or operation

   the agency of fate

5. intercession or mediation
6. one of the administrative organizations of a government

Other Words From

• sub·a·gen·cy noun plural subagencies
• un·der·a·gen·cy noun plural underagencies

Word History and Origins

Origin of agency¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Medieval Latin agentia “ability,” from Latin ag(ere) “to do, drive” + -entia -ency

Word History and Origins

Origin of agency¹

C17: from Medieval Latin agentia, from Latin agere to do

Example Sentences

Overdose deaths take a while to be measured, but the agency’s predictive model suggests that once these numbers are finalized across states, the number of people to die from an overdose across this 12-month period will be approximately 96,000.

From Salon

In 2017, Disneyland at last gave women agency in its Pirates of the Caribbean attraction by removing a bridal auction scene and reimagining a female “wench” as a pirate.

From Los Angeles Times

If confirmed in the role, he will steer the massive public health agency that includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Health.

From Salon

To be clear, though, it’s not exactly a full-fledged department, or a government agency at all.

From Slate

The federal agency said that tests on the samples were ongoing, adding that it had completed onsite inspections at an onion grower in the state of Washington and at a Taylor Farms processing centre in Colorado.

From BBC

Related Words

• bureau
• company
• department
• firm
• office