agent

[ ey-juhnt ]

/ ˈeɪ dʒənt /

noun

a person or business authorized to act on another's behalf: Our agent in Hong Kong will ship the merchandise. A best-selling author needs a good agent.

a person or thing that acts or has the power to act.

a natural force or object producing or used for obtaining specific results: Many insects are agents of fertilization.

an active cause; an efficient cause.

a person who works for or manages an agency.

a person who acts in an official capacity for a government or private agency, as a guard, detective, or spy: an FBI agent; the secret agents of a foreign power.

a person responsible for a particular action: Who was the agent of this deed?

Grammar. a form or construction, usually a noun or noun phrase, denoting an animate being that performs or causes the action expressed by the verb, as the police in The car was found by the police.

Indian agent.

a representative of a business firm, especially a traveling salesperson; canvasser; solicitor.

Chemistry. a substance that causes a reaction.

Pharmacology. a drug or chemical capable of eliciting a biological response.

Pathology. any microorganism capable of causing disease.

British. a campaign manager; an election agent.

adjective

acting; exerting power (opposed to patient).

verb (used with object)

to represent (a person or thing) as an agent; act as an agent for: to agent a manuscript; Who agented that deal?

Origin of agent

1570–80; < Latin agent- (stem of agēns (present participle) doing), equivalent to ag- (root of agere to do) + -ent- -ent

SYNONYMS FOR agent

1 representative, deputy.

3 means.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR agent ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM agent

coun·ter·a·gent, noun in·ter·a·gent, noun su·per·a·gent, noun un·der·a·gent, noun

Words nearby agent

agendum, agenesis, agenitalism, agenize, agenosomia, agent, agent noun, agent of production, agent orange, agent provocateur, agent-general

Example sentences from the Web for agent

My agent at the time sent that tape to SNL and then they asked me to come in for an audition.

Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness |Marlow Stern |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
I could complain about how, two out of eight episodes in, Agent Carter is in no hurry to introduce its real villain.

Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’ Stomps on the Patriarchy |Melissa Leon |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
To my own surprise, last year I started a book club, which includes writers, editors and an agent.

Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination |Mindy Farabee |December 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In a neat line, his agent, beginning a bidding war, promised: “Michiko Kakutani will flip for this.”

What On Earth Is ‘The Affair’ About? Season One’s Baffling Finale |Tim Teeman |December 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

When his agent asked if he missed his wife, his mind flashed to an image of Alison.

What On Earth Is ‘The Affair’ About? Season One’s Baffling Finale |Tim Teeman |December 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Besides, I hardly think that either he or his agent would have troubled to carry away an empty basin as a momento of the deed.

The Tree of Knowledge |Mrs. Baillie Reynolds
In his inmost soul it was his inmost aspiration to be an agent for enthroning here on earth the equity of God.

Abraham Lincoln's Cardinal Traits; |Clark S. Beardslee
The man who threatens with the shoulder is more passionate; but he is not the agent, he is passive.

Delsarte System of Oratory |Various
He was the agent of a vast and centralized authority, an authority against which there could be no opposition.

The Shadow |Arthur Stringer
They are turned over with the merchandise to the agent of the railroad at the point of destination.

Up To Date Business |Various

British Dictionary definitions for agent

agent

/ (ˈeɪdʒənt) /

noun

a person who acts on behalf of another person, group, business, government, etc; representative

a person or thing that acts or has the power to act

a phenomenon, substance, or organism that exerts some force or effect a chemical agent

the means by which something occurs or is achieved; instrument wind is an agent of plant pollination

a person representing a business concern, esp a travelling salesman

British short for estate agent

short for secret agent

Derived forms of agent

agential (eɪˈdʒɛnʃəl), adjective

Word Origin for agent

C15: from Latin agent-, noun use of the present participle of agere to do

Medical definitions for agent

agent

[ ā′jənt ]

n.

A force or substance, such as a chemical, that causes a change.

Scientific definitions for agent

agent

[ ā′jənt ]

A substance that can bring about a chemical reaction or a biological effect. Compare reagent.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

agent

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

Origin of agent

SYNONYMS FOR agent

OTHER WORDS FROM agent

Words nearby agent

Example sentences from the Web for agent

British Dictionary definitions for agent

noun

Derived forms of agent

Word Origin for agent

Medical definitions for agent

n.

Scientific definitions for agent

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

agent

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

Origin of agent

SYNONYMS FOR agent

OTHER WORDS FROM agent

Words nearby agent

Words related to agent

Example sentences from the Web for agent

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for agent

noun

Derived forms of agent

Word Origin for agent

Medical definitions for agent

n.

Scientific definitions for agent

British Dictionary definitions for agent