Phrase guide

intelligence agency

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A governmental agency that is tasked with information gathering (known in the context as "intelligence") for purposes of national security and defense.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intelligence service

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a unit responsible for gathering and interpreting information about an enemy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intelligence, intelligence service

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: administrative unit, administrative body

Narrower terms: military intelligence, military intelligence agency, United States intelligence agency, Intelligence Community, National Intelligence Community, United States Intelligence Community, IC, international intelligence agency

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: intelligensiediens — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Antigua and Barbuda Creole English: lenkuu — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Arabic: وَكَالَةْ اِسْتِخْبَار (wakālat istiḵbār) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Basque: inteligentzia zerbitzu — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Catalan: servei d'intel·ligència — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Catalan: agència d'intel·ligència — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Chinese Mandarin: 情報局 /情报局 (qíngbàojú) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Czech: zpravodajská služba — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Danish: efterretningstjeneste — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Dutch: inlichtingendienst — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Dutch: inteligentiedienst — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Finnish: tiedustelupalvelu — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • French: service de renseignements — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • French: service de renseignement — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Galician: servizo de intelixencia — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Galician: axencia de intelixencia — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Georgian: სადაზვერვო სამსახური (sadazvervo samsaxuri) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Georgian: სადაზვერვო სააგენტო (sadazvervo saagenṭo) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • German: Nachrichtendienst — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • German: Geheimdienst — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Greek: υπηρεσία πληροφοριών (ypiresía pliroforión) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Indonesian: badan intelijen — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Japanese: 情報機関 (jōhō-kikan) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Japanese: 諜報機関 (chōhō-kikan) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Japanese: スパイ機関 (supai-kikan) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Japanese: 特殊機関 (tokushu-kikan) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Japanese: 特務機関 (tokumu-kikan) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Korean: 정보 기관 (jeongbo gigwan) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Macedonian: разузнавачка служба (razuznavačka služba) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Malay: agensi perisikan — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Norwegian: etterretningstjeneste — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Polish: służby specjalne — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Portuguese: serviço de informações — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Portuguese: serviço de inteligência — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Portuguese: agência de inteligência — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Portuguese: inteligência — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Romanian: serviciu de informații — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Russian: разве́дка (razvédka) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Russian: специа́льная слу́жба (speciálʹnaja slúžba) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Russian: разве́дывательная слу́жба (razvédyvatelʹnaja slúžba) — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Slovene: obveščevalna služba — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Spanish: servicio de inteligencia — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Spanish: agencia de inteligencia — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Swedish: underrättelsetjänst — governmental agency devoted to information gathering
  • Vietnamese: cục tình báo — governmental agency devoted to information gathering