Agency: meaning, definitions and examples

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agency

 

[ ˈeɪdʒənsi ]

Context #1

business

An agency is a business or organization that provides a particular service on behalf of another person or entity. It acts as an intermediary between the client and the service provider.

Synonyms

bureau, company, firm

Examples of usage

  • The advertising agency created a successful marketing campaign for the new product.
  • Our travel agency helped us book our vacation to Europe.
  • The government agency is responsible for regulating the financial industry.
Context #2

government

An agency refers to a department or body of the government responsible for a specific function or service. It often has the authority to enforce laws and regulations within its area of expertise.

Synonyms

bureau, department, office

Examples of usage

  • The Environmental Protection Agency works to protect the environment and public health.
  • The intelligence agency is responsible for gathering and analyzing information for national security.
  • The agency oversees the distribution of social welfare benefits to eligible citizens.

Translations

Translations of the word "agency" in other languages:

🇵🇹 agência

🇮🇳 एजेंसी

🇩🇪 Agentur

🇮🇩 agensi

🇺🇦 агентство

🇵🇱 agencja

🇯🇵 代理店 (だいりてん)

🇫🇷 agence

🇪🇸 agencia

🇹🇷 ajans

🇰🇷 대리점 (代理店)

🇸🇦 وكالة

🇨🇿 agentura

🇸🇰 agentúra

🇨🇳 机构 (jīgòu)

🇸🇮 agencija

🇮🇸 stofnun

🇰🇿 агенттік

🇬🇪 სააგენტო (saagento)

🇦🇿 agentlik

🇲🇽 agencia

Word origin

The word 'agency' originated from the Latin word 'agentia', which means 'action of doing' or 'efficacy'. It first appeared in English in the 17th century, initially used in legal contexts to refer to the capacity of a person to act in a legal transaction on behalf of another. Over time, the term expanded to encompass various aspects of business, government, and social services, reflecting the concept of acting as an intermediary or representative.

See also: agents, bioagent, counteragent, reagent.