agency

noun

ˈā-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce agency (audio)
Definition of agencynext
1
as in department
a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the federal agency charged with enforcing laws and regulations regarding the use of firearms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in agent
something used to achieve an end by what agency do you plan to acquire this fortune?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of agency The agency will represent Chi across UK commercial projects, brand partnerships and personal publicity. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026 The news media, plus the Department of Defense, the FBI, the CIA and other federal agencies needed to be briefed on what was going on. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 The agency said Kim Jong Un also has a younger child whose gender has not been confirmed. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 Every previous agency had supposedly failed, but there was little ownership of the practice’s role in those relationships. — Chris Suchánek, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agency
  1. department
  2. agent
  3. bureau
  4. instrumentality
  5. office
  6. means
  7. service
  8. vehicle
Noun
  • At one point in the third quarter of South Carolina’s shutout win, athletic director Jeremiah Donati and other athletic department staffers were handing out free water bottles to fans.
    — Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • States are passing laws requiring their education departments to create such guidance; Maryland, Idaho, Oklahoma and Virginia all added new laws this year, reported K-12 Dive.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of department
Noun
  • Their defensive line flipped from fatal flaw to deep, disruptive chaos agent.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • What was the reason, exactly, for agents dressing for battle and toting weapons and riding in boats down the Chicago River?
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of agent
Noun
  • That’s close to the average rent of $1,581 for a one-bedroom market-rate apartment, according to CoStar figures shared by the bureau.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The Republic County Sheriff’s Office had requested the bureau’s help with the investigation.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bureau
Noun
  • Advertisement The war on terror represented a failed effort to impose a unipolar order on the world, one that could no longer rely on the economic instrumentality of globalization alone.
    — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Issued by the Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a state instrumentality created under the Wyoming Stable Token Act (2023), FRNT is fully reserved and managed in partnership with Franklin Templeton.
    — Jason Brett, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of instrumentality
Noun
  • Police in February investigated Peter Mandelson, a former British ambassador to the United States, on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to Epstein.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney's office, paving the way for prosecutors to decide if Musk should be charged.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of office
Noun
  • The power is in the hands of the owners of the means of production, and that is not the doctors.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
  • That’s well above 2025’s monthly average of 10,000 jobs, but below the monthly means for 2023 and 2024.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of means
Noun
  • The ground level is dedicated to the living room, while the first floor houses bedroom collections, in addition to personalized design and consulting services, a materials library and a VIP room.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Western intelligence services estimate Russia is losing some 40,000 troops a month – a rate of roughly 340 casualties for every square kilometer.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of service
Noun
  • That includes more than 10,000 armored and protected vehicles, close to 3,000 air defense and artillery systems, and over 370 aircraft and helicopters, Knighton said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • For drivers with older vehicles, one major repair can be enough to make a protection plan worth a closer look.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of vehicle

Browse Nearby Words

agencies
agency
agenda
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agency. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on agency

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about agency

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All