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agency

noun
agen·​cy | \ ˈā-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce agency (audio) \
plural agencies

Definition of agency

1a : the office or function of an agent (see agent sense 4)
b : the relationship between a principal and that person's agent
2 : the capacity, condition, or state of acting or of exerting power : operation
3 : a person or thing through which power is exerted or an end is achieved : instrumentality communicated through the agency of the ambassador
4 : an establishment engaged in doing business for another an advertising agency
5 : an administrative division (as of a government) the agency for consumer protection
Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about agency

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Examples of agency in a Sentence

the federal agency in charge of printing money the federal agency charged with enforcing laws and regulations regarding the use of firearms

Recent Examples on the Web

 The agency is run by Mark Calabria, formerly Vice President Mike Pence’s chief economist. — Renae Merle, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump administration proposes ending US control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," 5 Sep. 2019 The budget for Ibama, the environmental agency charged with protecting the rainforest, has been slashed by 25 percent. — Felipe Araujo, The New Republic, "The Best Way to Fight Fires in the Amazon," 5 Sep. 2019 The agency did not immediately return a request for comment. — NBC News, "Atlanta woman finds hours-old baby abandoned on her front porch," 4 Sep. 2019 Likewise, the agency can ensure that once the person leaves the U.S., he or she is deemed inadmissible to re-enter. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Could Rodions Kurucs' Arrest Lead to Immigration Implications for Nets Forward?," 4 Sep. 2019 And with Vought as acting OMB director, the budget agency’s influence within the White House is even more suspect. — Jeffrey Mervis, Science | AAAS, "New memo offers first glimpse of how Trump’s science adviser would like to shape spending priorities," 4 Sep. 2019 Between 2015 and 2018, the agency allocated a yearly average of a little less than eleven million dollars to C.F.S., which is a tiny sum for medical research. — Mike Mariani, The New Yorker, "A Town for People with Chronic Fatigue," 3 Sep. 2019 The agency has also lacked a permanent administrator since Long’s departure six months ago. — Thomas Frank, Scientific American, "Dorian Drives Home Warnings of Climate Influence on Hurricanes," 3 Sep. 2019 Adweek has listed Northlich as the top agency in Ohio. — Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Northlich – Adweek's top Ohio agency – announced closing Friday afternoon on social media," 30 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'agency.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of agency

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for agency

ag(ent) + -ency, perhaps after Medieval Latin agentia, derivative of agent-, agens agent

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More Definitions for agency

agency

noun
How to pronounce agency (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of agency

: a business that provides a particular service
: a government department that is responsible for a particular activity, area, etc.

See the full definition for agency in the English Language Learners Dictionary

agency

noun
agen·​cy | \ ˈā-jən-sē How to pronounce agency (audio) \
plural agencies

Kids Definition of agency

1 : a person or thing through which power is used or something is achieved Through the agency of his former school, he reunited with some old friends.
2 : a business that provides a particular service an advertising agency
3 : a part of a government that is responsible for providing a particular service or performing a specific function law enforcement agencies

agency

noun
agen·​cy
plural agencies

Legal Definition of agency

1 : the person or thing through which power is exerted or an end is achieved death by criminal agency— W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
2a : a consensual fiduciary relationship in which one party acts on behalf of and under the control of another in dealing with third parties also : the power of one in such a relationship to act on behalf of another

Note: A principal is bound by and liable for acts of his or her agent that are within the scope of the agency.

— actual agency
: the agency that exists when an agent is in fact employed by a principal — see also express agency and implied agency in this entry
— agency by estoppel
: an agency that is not created as an actual agency by a principal and an agent but that is imposed by law when a principal acts in such a way as to lead a third party to reasonably believe that another is the principal's agent and the third party is injured by relying on and acting in accordance with that belief

Note: A principal has a duty to correct a third party's mistaken belief in an agent's authority to act on the principal's behalf. If the principal could have corrected the misunderstanding but failed to do so, he or she is estopped from denying the existence of the agency and is bound by the agent's acts in dealing with the third party.

— agency coupled with an interest
: an agency in which the agent has an interest in the property regarding which he or she is acting on the principal's behalf
— apparent agency
: agency by estoppel in this entry
— exclusive agency
: an agency common in real estate sales in which the property owner agrees to employ no agents to sell the property other than the one hired for a specified period
— express agency
: an actual agency created by the written or spoken words of the principal authorizing the agent to act — compare implied agency in this entry
— general agency
: an agency in which the agent is authorized to perform on behalf of the principal in all matters in furtherance of a particular business of the principal — compare special agency in this entry
— implied agency
: an a

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