English
agency
Etymology

From Medieval Latin agentia, from Latin agēns (present participle of agere ("to act")), agentis (cognate with French agence, see also agent).

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ˈeɪ.d͡ʒən.si/
Noun

agency

  1. The capacity, condition, or state of acting or of exerting power.
    Synonyms: action, activity, operation
    • 1695, John Woodward, “(please specify the page)”, in An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth: And Terrestrial Bodies, Especially Minerals: […], London: […] Ric[hard] Wilkin […], →OCLC ↗:
      A few advances there are in the following papers tending to assert the superintendence and agency of Providence in the natural world.
  2. (sociology, philosophy, psychology) The capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.
    Coordinate terms: free will, structure
    moral agency
    individual agency
  3. A medium through which power is exerted or an end is achieved.
    Synonyms: instrumentality, means
  4. The office or function of an agent; also, the relationship between a principal and that person's agent.
    authority of agency
  5. An establishment engaged in doing business for another; also, the place of business or the district of such an agency.
    Synonyms: management
    Hyponyms: advertising agency, dating agency, employment agency, escort agency, introduction agency, modelling agency, news agency, press agency, relief agency, syndication agency, travel agency
  6. A department or other administrative unit of a government; also, the office or headquarters of, or the district administered by such unit of government.
    Hyponyms: antitrust agency, intelligence agency, space agency
    Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
    Central Intelligence Agency
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