agency
agency
Pronunciation
agency
IPA: /ˈeɪdʒənsi/
Syllable Breakdown:
a-: /eɪ/ (as in "day")
gen-: /dʒən/ (as in "gin")
cy: /si/ (as in "see")
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: agency
Plural Noun: agencies
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A business or organization providing a particular service on behalf of another entity.
Synonyms: bureau, office, firm, company, establishment
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts are distinct)
Definition 2: The capacity, condition, or state of acting or of exerting power; the ability to act or to make choices.
Synonyms: influence, power, control, initiative, autonomy, free will
Antonyms: impotence, helplessness, passivity, subjugation, constraint
Definition 3: The relationship between a principal and an agent, in which the agent is authorized to act on the principal's behalf.
Synonyms: representation, delegation, brokerage
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts are distinct)
Definition 4: A means or instrument by which something is accomplished.
Synonyms: means, channel, medium, instrument, vehicle
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts are distinct)
Examples of Use
Books: "The book delves into the concept of human agency in a rapidly changing technological landscape, exploring how individuals retain control over their destinies." (From a review of "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" by Shoshana Zuboff, New York Review of Books, March 2019)
Newspapers: "The Environmental Protection Agency announced new regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions from power plants." (The New York Times)
Online Publications: "Social media platforms have been criticized for diminishing user agency by algorithmically curating content and influencing behavior." (From an article on Wired.com)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): "In the spy thriller, the protagonist is a rogue agency operative, forced to go underground to expose corruption within the organization." (Referencing a plot element common in films like "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One,")
Entertainment Platforms (Television Series): "The central plot of the new streaming series revolves around a secret government agency tasked with investigating paranormal phenomena." (Common trope in shows similar to "The X-Files," which aired from September 1993)
General Public Discourse: "When discussing mental health, it's crucial to empower individuals by emphasizing their agency in their own recovery journey." (Heard in a public health seminar)
General Public Discourse: "My friend just got a new job at a digital marketing agency downtown." (Casual conversation)
10 Quotes Using Agency
"Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike." (Alexander Hamilton)
"Every mind which has given itself to self-expression in art is aware of a directing agency outside its conscious control which it has agreed to label 'inspiration'." (Norman Lindsay)
"I think the FBI is the premier law enforcement agency in all of human history." (John F. Kennedy)
"You are free to choose what you want to make of your life. It's called free agency or free will, and it's your birthright." (Sean Covey)
"It is easy to romanticize poverty, to see poor people as inherently lacking agency and will." (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
"The National Security Agency has broken privacy rules or overstepped its legal authority thousands of times each year since Congress granted the agency broad new powers in 2008." (Barton Gellman)
"The work of an advertising agency is warmly and immediately human. It deals with human needs, wants, dreams and hopes." (Leo Burnett)
"War should never be entered upon until every agency of peace has failed." (William McKinley)
"We have moral agency as a gift of God. Rather than the right to choose to be free of influence, it is the inalienable right to submit ourselves to whichever of those powers we choose." (Henry B. Eyring)
"Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside an advertising agency." (Raymond Chandler)
Etymology
The word "agency" comes from the Latin word "agere," which means "to do," "to act," or "to drive."
Think of it like this: if you're "acting" or "doing" something, you have agency – the ability to make things happen.
The earliest known use of "agency" in English dates back to the mid-17th century (around the 1640s). At that time, its primary meaning was "the quality of being active" or "the faculty of acting or exerting power." So, it was about the power or ability to initiate action or produce an effect. Over time, it developed the other meanings we know today, like a business that acts on behalf of others, or a government department.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Agency
Sense of agency: This refers to an individual's perception of being in control of their actions and their ability to influence events.
Government agency: A common term for a department or organization within a government that performs a specific function.
Advertising agency: A business that creates, plans, and handles advertising for its clients.
Employment agency: A business that helps people find jobs and employers find suitable staff.
News agency: An organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing newspapers, broadcasters, etc.
By the agency of: Through the power or action of something or someone. (e.g., "The rescue was achieved by the agency of a courageous volunteer.")
Exercising one's agency: Actively using one's ability to make choices and influence outcomes.
Taking control (idiom with synonym): Assuming power or direction over a situation, similar to asserting one's agency.
Wielding influence (idiom with synonym): Exerting power or control, akin to having significant agency.
A force to be reckoned with (idiom with synonym): Describing someone or something with considerable power or influence, implying a strong sense of agency.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of agency from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
