name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
agent
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
/ˈeɪ̯d͡ʒənt/
-
[ˈeɪ̯d͡ʒənt] ~ [ˈeɪ̯d͡ʒn̩t]
-
US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
CMU ARPABET: EY1 JH AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
One who exerts power, or has the power to act.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
One who acts for, or in the place of, another (the principal), by that person's authority; someone entrusted to act on behalf of or in behalf of another, such as to transact business for them.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
Examples
- He worked as an agent for the government.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A person who looks for work for another person and brokers a deal between the hiree and hirer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Someone who works for an intelligence agency: whether an officer or employee thereof or anyone else who agrees to help their efforts (for ideology, for money, as blackmailee, or otherwise).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
An active power or cause or substance; something (e.g. biological, chemical, thermal, etc.) that has the power to produce an effect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
In the client-server model, the part of the system that performs information preparation and exchange on behalf of a client or server. Especially in the phrase “intelligent agent” it implies some kind of autonomous process which can communicate with other agents to perform some collective task on behalf of one or more humans.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
The participant of a situation that carries out the action in this situation, e.g. "the boy" in the sentences "The boy kicked the ball" and "The ball was kicked by the boy".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
- Near-synonym: doer
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: doer
Antonyms: patient
noun
Meaning 9
A cheat who is assisted by dishonest casino staff.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: gambling, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A law enforcement officer tasked with enforcing a specific field of law.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Examples
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officers are just simply referred to as "ATF agents".
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A respectful term of address for an agent, especially a law enforcement agent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, capitalized, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
the semantic role of the animate entity that instigates or causes the happening denoted by the verb in the clause
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: agentive role
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: semantic role, participant role
noun
Meaning 13
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- their research uncovered new disease agents
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: causal agent, cause, causal agency
Narrower terms: vasoconstrictor, vasoconstrictive, pressor, biological agent, biohazard, eliminator, impairer, infectious agent, infective agent, lethal agent, motor, mutagen, quickener, invigorator, enlivener, relaxer, repressor, represser, retardant, retardent, retardation, satisfier, shortener, stressor, teratogen, vector, transmitter, weakener
noun
Meaning 14
a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: factor, broker
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: businessperson, bourgeois
Narrower terms: auctioneer, insurance broker, insurance agent, general agent, underwriter, investment banker, real estate broker, real estate agent, estate agent, land agent, house agent, ship broker, stockbroker, syndic, travel agent
noun
Meaning 15
a representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: representative
Narrower terms: business agent, literary agent, bailee, booker, booking agent, deputy, surrogate, employment agent, freight agent, government agent, handler, mill agent, next friend, parliamentary agent, proxy, placeholder, procurator, purchasing agent, secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent, operative, shipping agent, shopper, special agent, talent agent, universal agent, general agent
noun
Meaning 16
any agent or representative of a federal agency or bureau
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: federal agent
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: official, functionary
Narrower terms: Indian agent, Federal, Fed, federal official, trustbuster
noun
Meaning 17
a substance that exerts some force or effect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: causal agent, cause, causal agency, substance
Narrower terms: antiflatulent, antifungal, antifungal agent, fungicide, antimycotic, antimycotic agent, disinfectant, germicide, antimicrobic, antimicrobial, drug, vermicide, antacid, gastric antacid, alkalizer, alkaliser, antiacid, bacteriostat, bleaching agent, bleach, blanching agent, whitener, chemical agent, coagulant, coagulator, coolant, dilutant, diluent, thinner, emmenagogue, galactagogue, hypnagogue, hypoglycemic agent, hypoglycaemic agent, inducer, lactifuge, lactogen, mitogen, nerve gas, nerve agent, precipitant, solvating agent, viricide, virucide
History
Etymology
Occupational surname, from agent.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h2éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Latin agēnsder. English agent From Latin agēns, present active participle of agere (“to drive, lead, conduct, manage, perform, do”).
Across languages
Translations
193 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: فَاعِل (fāʕil) — one who exerts power
- Dutch: agent — one who exerts power
- Finnish: toimija — one who exerts power
- French: agent — one who exerts power
- Hebrew: סוֹכֵן (sokhén) — one who exerts power
- Hebrew: סוכנת (sokhenet) — one who exerts power
- Italian: agente — one who exerts power
- Latin: actor — one who exerts power
- Māori: kaiwhakarite — one who exerts power
- Māori: kaikawe — one who exerts power
- Portuguese: agente — one who exerts power
- Russian: де́ятель (déjatelʹ) — one who exerts power
- Russian: исполни́тель (ispolnítelʹ) — one who exerts power
- Scottish Gaelic: neach-ionaid — one who exerts power
- Taos: oxèntiʼína — one who exerts power
- Turkish: fail — one who exerts power
- Asturian: axente — law: one who acts in place of another
- Belarusian: аге́нт (ahjént) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Belarusian: аге́нтка (ahjéntka) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Bulgarian: упълномощено лице (upǎlnomošteno lice) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Bulgarian: представи́тел (predstavítel) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Bulgarian: посре́дник (posrédnik) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Bulgarian: аге́нт (agént) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Catalan: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Chinese Mandarin: 代理人 (dàilǐrén) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Crimean Tatar: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Czech: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Czech: zástupce — law: one who acts in place of another
- Danish: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Dutch: vertegenwoordiger — law: one who acts in place of another
- Dutch: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Dutch: tussenpersoon — law: one who acts in place of another
- Dutch: lasthebber — law: one who acts in place of another
- Esperanto: agento — law: one who acts in place of another
- Esperanto: peranto — law: one who acts in place of another
- Finnish: asiamies — law: one who acts in place of another
- Finnish: asioitsija — law: one who acts in place of another
- Finnish: agentti — law: one who acts in place of another
- French: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- French: agente — law: one who acts in place of another
- Galician: axente — law: one who acts in place of another
- German: Agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- German: Agentin — law: one who acts in place of another
- Greek: ατζέντης (atzéntis) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Greek: αντιπρόσωπος (antiprósopos) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Hebrew: סוֹכֵן (sokhén) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Hebrew: סוכנת (sokhenet) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Hungarian: ügynök — law: one who acts in place of another
- Hungarian: képviselő — law: one who acts in place of another
- Hungarian: megbízott — law: one who acts in place of another
- Hungarian: meghatalmazott — law: one who acts in place of another
- Indonesian: agen — law: one who acts in place of another
- Italian: agente — law: one who acts in place of another
- Japanese: 代理人 (dairinin) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Korean: 대리인 (daeriin) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Latin: procurator — law: one who acts in place of another
- Latvian: aģents — law: one who acts in place of another
- Latvian: pārstāvis — law: one who acts in place of another
- Malay: agen — law: one who acts in place of another
- Māori: māngai — law: one who acts in place of another
- Māori: kaitaunaki — law: one who acts in place of another
- Middle English: procuratour — law: one who acts in place of another
- Middle English: procutour — law: one who acts in place of another
- Khiamniungan Naga: āchíkíuhjǖnô — law: one who acts in place of another
- Norwegian Bokmål: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Polish: pełnomocnik — law: one who acts in place of another
- Polish: plenipotent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Portuguese: agente — law: one who acts in place of another
- Russian: аге́нт (agént) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Russian: аге́нтка (agéntka) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Russian: представи́тель (predstavítelʹ) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Russian: представи́тельница (predstavítelʹnica) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Russian: посре́дник (posrédnik) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Russian: посре́дница (posrédnica) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Spanish: agente — law: one who acts in place of another
- Spanish: gendarme — law: one who acts in place of another
- Swahili: wakala — law: one who acts in place of another
- Swedish: agent — law: one who acts in place of another
- Swedish: syssloman — law: one who acts in place of another
- Tagalog: kinagawa — law: one who acts in place of another
- Tagalog: ahente — law: one who acts in place of another
- Thai: ตัวแทน (dtuua-tɛɛn) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Turkish: acente — law: one who acts in place of another
- Turkish: temsilci — law: one who acts in place of another
- Turkish: vekil — law: one who acts in place of another
- Turkish: aracı — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ottoman Turkish: ایلچی (elçi) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ottoman Turkish: وكیل (vekil) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ukrainian: аге́нт (ahént) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ukrainian: аге́нтка (ahéntka) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ukrainian: представни́к (predstavnýk) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ukrainian: представни́ця (predstavnýcja) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ukrainian: посере́дник (poserédnyk) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Ukrainian: посере́дниця (poserédnycja) — law: one who acts in place of another
- Vietnamese: người đại lý — law: one who acts in place of another
- Welsh: asiant — law: one who acts in place of another
- Yiddish: אַגענט — law: one who acts in place of another
- Bulgarian: агент — person who looks for work for another person
- Bulgarian: агентка (agentka) — person who looks for work for another person
- Belarusian: аге́нт (ahjént) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Belarusian: аге́нтка (ahjéntka) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Czech: agent — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Esperanto: agento — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Finnish: agentti — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Finnish: asiamies — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Finnish: asioitsija — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- French: agent — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- French: espion — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Greek: πράκτορας (práktoras) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Hindi: गुप्तचर (guptacar) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Hungarian: ügynök — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Hungarian: titkosügynök — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Hungarian: hírszerző — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Hungarian: kém — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Indonesian: agen — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Latin: explorator — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Norwegian Bokmål: agent — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Norwegian Bokmål: spion — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Polish: agent — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Polish: agentka — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Russian: аге́нт (agént) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Russian: аге́нтка (agéntka) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Russian: шпио́н (špión) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Russian: шпио́нка (špiónka) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Yiddish: אַגענט — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Yiddish: אַגענטקע (agentke) — someone who works for an intelligence agency
- Asturian: axente — active power or cause
- Bulgarian: де́йстваща си́ла (déjstvašta síla) — active power or cause
- Catalan: agent — active power or cause
- Dutch: bewerker — active power or cause
- Finnish: toimija — active power or cause
- Finnish: vaikuttaja — active power or cause
- Finnish: vaikuttava aine — active power or cause
- Finnish: taudinaiheuttaja — active power or cause
- French: agent — active power or cause
- Galician: axente — active power or cause
- German: Wirkstoff — active power or cause
- Greek: παράγοντας (parágontas) — active power or cause
- Greek: ουσία (ousía) — active power or cause
- Hungarian: anyag — active power or cause
- Hungarian: hatóanyag — active power or cause
- Hungarian: szer — active power or cause
- Italian: agente — active power or cause
- Latin: actor — active power or cause
- Polish: czynnik — active power or cause
- Polish: środek — active power or cause
- Portuguese: agente — active power or cause
- Russian: де́йствующая си́ла (déjstvujuščaja síla) — active power or cause
- Russian: фа́ктор (fáktor) — active power or cause
- Russian: сре́дство (srédstvo) — active power or cause
- Russian: реаге́нт (reagént) — active power or cause
- Russian: реакти́в (reaktív) — active power or cause
- Spanish: agente — active power or cause
- Swedish: agent — active power or cause
- Swedish: verksamt ämne — active power or cause
- Tagalog: kinabisa — active power or cause
- Turkish: fail — active power or cause
- Bulgarian: агент — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Finnish: agentti — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Finnish: asiamies — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Finnish: asioitsija — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- French: agent — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Greek: παράγοντας (parágontas) — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Hungarian: ágens — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Hungarian: ágensprogram — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Indonesian: agen — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Malay: agen — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Polish: agent — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Portuguese: agente — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Russian: аге́нт (agént) — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Spanish: agente — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Swedish: agent — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Turkish: vekil — computing: part of the system that performs action on behalf of a client or server
- Bulgarian: вършител (vǎršitel) — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Bulgarian: деятел (dejatel) — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Catalan: agent — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Chinese Mandarin: 主事 (zhǔshì) — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Dutch: handelend persoon — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Finnish: agentti — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Finnish: tekijä — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- French: complément d'agent — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Galician: axente — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- German: Agens — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Greek: ποιητικό αίτιο (poiitikó aítio) — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Hungarian: ágens — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Hungarian: cselekvő — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Polish: agens — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Russian: а́генс (ágens) — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Spanish: agente — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Swedish: agent — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Turkish: yapıcı — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Turkish: kılıcı — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
- Turkish: fail — grammar: performer of the action in a sentence
Real reading context