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CIA

1 American  
Or C.I.A.

abbreviation

  1. Central Intelligence Agency: the U.S. federal agency that coordinates governmental intelligence activities outside the United States.


Cia. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. Company.


CIA British  

abbreviation

  1. Central Intelligence Agency; a federal US bureau created in 1947 to coordinate and conduct espionage and intelligence activities

"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 Cia.

From the Spanish word Compañía

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.

A former CIA officer who flipped a swing House district in northern Virginia twice, Spanberger has now been governor of the commonwealth for roughly four months.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

The field marshal, acting on CIA intelligence, handed over the alleged mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul airport bombing when Americans were evacuating from Afghanistan.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The CIA "executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians, who were desperately hunting for our airmen," whom Washington located as of Saturday morning, Ratcliffe said, without providing details on the deception efforts.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

The CIA also carried out a deception operation to throw the Iranians off the airman’s track.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

But with the real possibility of nuclear conflict with the USSR—and the failure of the CIA to send its own agents behind the Iron Curtain—the time had come to make it happen.

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