Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The condition of being in action; operation.
  • noun The means or mode of acting; instrumentality.
  • noun A business with agents that negotiate deals for clients.
  • noun An advertising or public relations firm.
  • noun An administrative division of a government or international body.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state of being in action or of exerting power; action; operation; instrumentality.
  • noun A mode of exerting power; a means of producing effects.
  • noun The office of agent or factor; the business of an agent intrusted with the concerns of another: as, the principal pays the charges of agency.
  • noun The place of business of an agent.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The faculty of acting or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; instrumentality.
  • noun The office of an agent, or factor; the relation between a principal and his agent; business of one intrusted with the concerns of another.
  • noun The place of business of an agent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The faculty of acting or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; instrumentality.
  • noun agent
  • noun The office of an agent, or factor.
  • noun The relation between a principal and his agent.
  • noun Business of one entrusted with the concerns of another.
  • noun The place of business of an agent.
  • noun A bond issued by a US government-backed entity, such as Fannie Mae.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the state of serving as an official and authorized delegate or agent
  • noun how a result is obtained or an end is achieved
  • noun the state of being in action or exerting power
  • noun an administrative unit of government
  • noun a business that serves other businesses

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin agentia, from Latin agēns, agent-, present participle of agere, to do; see agent.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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

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Examples

  • The auditors also criticized the Office of Thrift Supervision, the federal regulatory agency that oversees nationally chartered savings & loans, saying the agency  “did not adequately address Suburban’s problems early enough to prevent a material loss to the FDIC fund” and “did not adequately monitor the thrift’s actions through field visits” to ensure that any corrections regulators did suggest were actually made.

    Reports on failed banks show shoddy oversight 2009

  • In this paper, the term agency is used generically to refer to agencies, bureaus, departments, commissions, and other entities.

    Npr Report Streamlining Management Control Part A ITY National Archives 1994

  • In this paper, the term agency is used generically to refer to agencies, bureaus, departments, commissions, and other entities.

    Npr Report On Streamlining Management Control Part A ITY National Archives 1994

  • The title agency reports that the average price for a single family home is down 4 percent from a year ago, to $$430,019, while through July, the median sold price for a single family home is down 3 percent from the same time a year ago, to $362,000. jcolson@postindependent.com

    Glenwood Springs Post Independent - Top Stories John Colson Post Independent Staff Glenwood Spring 2010

  • The title agency reports that the average price for a single family home is down 4 percent from a year ago, to $$430,019, while through July, the median sold price for a single family home is down 3 percent from the same time a year ago, to $362,000. jcolson@postindependent.com

    Glenwood Springs Post Independent - Top Stories John Colson Post Independent Staff Glenwood Spring 2010

  • Wickersham sold the title agency in 2003 and his contract with Alyeska was a condition of the sale, said Randy Strong, Alyeska president.

    Anchorage Daily News - Alaska News 2010

  • The title agency reports that the average price for a single-family home is down 4 percent from a year ago, to $$430,019, while through July, the median sold price for a single-family home was down 3 percent from the same time a year ago, to $362,000. jcolson@postindependent.com

    Aspen Times - Top Stories John Colson Glenwood Springs correspondent Aspen, 2009

  • The title agency reports that the average price for a single-family home is down 4 percent from a year ago, to $$430,019, while through July, the median sold price for a single-family home was down 3 percent from the same time a year ago, to $362,000. jcolson@postindependent.com

    Aspen Times - Top Stories 2009

  • The title agency reports that the average price for a single-family home is down 4 percent from a year ago, to $$430,019, while through July, the median sold price for a single-family home was down 3 percent from the same time a year ago, to $362,000. jcolson@postindependent.com

    Aspen Times - Top Stories 2009

  • They can work in your favor if the agency is able to offer discounts or extras, but the key is transparency.

    Booking a cruise? Wait another 2 weeks 2010

Comments

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  • the freedom to choose...the ability to be an agent unto yourself...the ability to act instead of being acted upon

    October 9, 2010