Vocabulary     

What does agent mean?

Definitions for agent
ˈeɪ dʒəntagent

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word agent.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. agentnoun

    an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect

    "their research uncovered new disease agents"

  2. agentnoun

    a representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations

  3. agentnoun

    a substance that exerts some force or effect

  4. agent, factor, brokernoun

    a businessman who buys or sells for another in exchange for a commission

  5. agent, federal agentnoun

    any agent or representative of a federal agency or bureau

  6. agentive role, agentnoun

    the semantic role of the animate entity that instigates or causes the happening denoted by the verb in the clause

GCIDE

  1. Agentnoun

    (Biochem., Med.) a chemical substance having biological effects; a drug.

Wiktionary

  1. agentnoun

    One who exerts power, or has the power to act; an actor.

  2. agentnoun

    One who acts for, or in the place of, another (the principal), by authority from him; one intrusted with the business of another; a substitute; a deputy; a factor.

  3. agentnoun

    An active power or cause; that which has the power to produce an effect; as, a physical, chemical, or medicinal agent; as, heat is a powerful agent.

  4. agentnoun

    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.

  5. agentnoun

    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".

  6. Etymology: From agens, present participle of ago

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. AGENTadjective

    That which acts; opposed to patient, or that which is acted upon.

    Etymology: agens, Lat.

    This success is oft truly ascribed unto the force of imagination upon the body agent; and then, by a secondary means, it may upon a diverse body; as, for example, if a man carry a ring, or some part of a beast, believing strongly that it will help him to obtain his love, it may make him more industrious, and again more confident and persisting than otherwise he would be. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 902.

  2. Agentnoun

    Where there is no doubt, deliberation is not excluded as impertinent unto the thing, but as needless in regard of the agent, which seeth already what to resolve upon. Richard Hooker.

    To whom nor agent, from the instrument,
    Nor pow’r of working, from the work is known. Davies.

    Heav’n made us agents free to good or ill,
    And forc’d it not, tho’ he foresaw the will.
    Freedom was first bestow’d on human race,
    And prescience only held the second place. Dryden.

    A miracle is a work exceeding the power of any created agent, consequently being an effect of the divine omnipotence. Robert South, Sermons.

    —— All hearts in love, use your own tongues;
    Let every eye negotiate for itself,
    And trust no agent. William Shakespeare.

    They had not the wit to send to them, in any orderly fashion, agents or chosen men, to tempt them, and to treat with them. Francis Bacon, Henry VII.

    Remember, Sir, your fury of a wife,
    Who, not content to be reveng’d on you,
    The agents of your passion will pursue. John Dryden, Aureng.

    They produced wonderful effects, by the proper application of agents to patients. William Temple.

ChatGPT

  1. agent

    An agent is an individual or entity that is authorized to act on behalf of another, often referred to as the principal, in order to make decisions, complete tasks, or conduct transactions. Agents can be found in various industries and sectors such as real estate, law, insurance, and sports, among others. In computer science, an agent can also refer to a program or software that performs specific tasks independently.

  2. agent

    An agent is an individual or entity that is authorized or appointed to act on behalf of another individual or entity in a specific matter or general context such as business or legal affairs. The agent's actions and decisions directly impact the person or entity they are representing.

  3. agent

    An agent is an entity (person, organization or software program) that has the capacity to act on behalf of another entity or entities in order to achieve a specific goal or tasks. This entity usually has the authority or capacity to make decisions, negotiate, and manage resources. The scope of its actions is often defined by a legal or contractual agreement.

  4. agent

    An agent is an individual, entity, or a computer program that is authorized or appointed to act on behalf of another to perform specific tasks or make decisions. This can include negotiating contracts, making purchases, offering advice, or representing in legal matters, among other responsibilities. The one who is being represented by the agent is often referred to as the principal.

  5. agent

    An agent is an individual or entity granted the power or authority to act on behalf of another person or entity in business transactions, negotiations, or other specific actions. This representative role can encompass a variety of tasks, ranging from signing contracts to making purchases, depending on the context and agreement between involved parties. In computer science, an agent can also refer to a software program that performs specific tasks autonomously.

  6. agent

    An agent, in general terms, refers to a person or entity that acts on behalf of another person, group, or organization, often being given the power to make decisions and carry out actions. This could be within various contexts such as real estate, business, law, intelligence, or software (where it's commonly known as a software agent or artificial agent). The key function of an agent is to represent and manage the interests of the party they serve.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Agentadjective

    acting; -- opposed to patient, or sustaining, action

  2. Agentnoun

    one who exerts power, or has the power to act; an actor

  3. Agentnoun

    one who acts for, or in the place of, another, by authority from him; one intrusted with the business of another; a substitute; a deputy; a factor

  4. Agentnoun

    an active power or cause; that which has the power to produce an effect; as, a physical, chemical, or medicinal agent; as, heat is a powerful agent

  5. Etymology: [L. agens, agentis, p. pr. of agere to act; akin to Gr. to lead, Icel. aka to drive, Skr. aj. 2.]

Wikidata

  1. Agent

    In linguistics, a grammatical agent is the cause or initiator of an event. Agent may also be the name of the thematic role. The word comes from the present participle agens, agentis of the Latin verb agere, to "do" or "make".

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Agent

    āj′ent, n. a person or thing that acts or exerts power: any natural force acting on matter: one authorised or delegated to transact business for another.—n. Ag′ency, the office or business, operation or action, of an agent; instrumentality.—Law agent, a general term in Scotland, including Writers to the Signet, Solicitors to the Supreme Court, and Procurators in the sheriff courts—the requirements are an indentured apprenticeship of five years to a law agent, the passing of examinations in general knowledge and in law, and formal admission by the Court of Session. [L. agĕre, to do. See Act.]

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

  1. agent

    In intelligence usage, one who is authorized or instructed to obtain or to assist in obtaining information for intelligence or counterintelligence purposes.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. agent

    In physics, expresses that by which a thing is done or effected.--Navy agent is a deputy employed to pass accounts, transact business, and receive pay or other monies, in behoof of the officers and crew, and to apply the proceeds as directed by them.--Agent victuallers, officers appointed to the charge of provisions at our foreign ports and stations, to contract for, buy, and regulate, under the authority of the commissioners of the navy. (See NEGLIGENCE.)--Prize agent, one appointed for the sale of prizes, and nominated in equal numbers by the commander, the officers, and the ship's company.

Editors Contribution

  1. agentnoun

    1.) An adjutant general that's coefficient and convenient at denoting an occurrence of actions over time as the law. 2.) A person who acts on behalf of another, in particular: a person who manages business, financial, or contractual matters for an actor, performer, or writer. 3.) A person or thing takes an active role or produces a specified effect of an action, typically expressed as the subject of an active verb or in a by phrase with a passive verb.

    I was chosen to be the team agent leader @ International Time Travel Agency.

    Etymology: General


    Submitted by Tehorah_Nephesh_Lespri_Bondye on October 16, 2023  

  2. agent

    A person that represents a business, company or organization.

    The customer service agent was helpful, understanding and kind.


    Submitted by MaryC on March 15, 2020  

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. AGENT

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Agent is ranked #33941 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Agent surname appeared 670 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Agent.

    72.2% or 484 total occurrences were White.
    23.7% or 159 total occurrences were Black.
    2% or 14 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
    1.3% or 9 total occurrences were of two or more races.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'agent' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2379

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'agent' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3013

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'agent' in Nouns Frequency: #590

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for agent »

  1. Tegan

How to pronounce agent?

How to say agent in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of agent in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of agent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of agent in a Sentence

  1. Rudy Giuliani:

    Every FBI agent should demand that that man be fired.

  2. Kyle Meredith:

    They were like, ‘This is the Manchurian Candidate, like [Putin] has a Russian agent as the President of the United States,’ so they passed on some information to me and they said, like, ‘Look, you have more of a social media following than any of us do, can you please post some of these things just in a way that sort of put it out there.’.

  3. The Weinstein Company:

    I was so self-involved and trying to be a provider that I was n’t aware of Charlie Sheen inclination to being actors, i was doing a show one time, and Emilio Estevez showed up. I thought Emilio Estevez was there to visit me, but Emilio Estevez ’d gotten a part in the same show. The only influence I had on Emilio Estevez was to keep Emilio Estevez name. When Emilio Estevez started out, Emilio Estevez agent was advising Emilio Estevez to change Emilio Estevez name to Charlie Sheen, and Emilio Estevez would n’t do it. And I thank God Emilio Estevez did n’t.

  4. Charlotte Charles:

    She continues to grieve for Harry Dunn and Harry Dunn family LAWYERS PUSH UNLIKELY PERSON-OF-INTEREST SWAP IN EPSTEIN-DUNN CASES British press has reported that Anne Sacoolas and Anne Sacoolas husband are both U.S. spies, with the Daily Mail reportingSacoolasis a CIA agent. Fox News could not confirm those claims. Fox News doesnt matter to me what her job role was or is or who she was married to or who shes employed by, said Charles, who added that Anne Sacoolas has not reached out to Anne Sacoolas family. She, unfortunately, took the life of our son. It doesnt matter who you are. You face the justice system for that. The Crown Prince Prosecution Service charged Anne Sacoolas with causing death by dangerous driving in December. The maximum sentence is 14 years imprisonment, although this is usually reserved for the most serious cases. Dunns family said before Anne Sacoolas fled they had no intention of seeking prison time and were willing to negotiate, but now that decision is up to British prosecutors. She would have been home by now, Charles said. The The United Kingdom government officially submitted The UK government extradition request in January. which was rejected by U.S. Secretary of January Pompeo, saying The UK government would make diplomatic immunity a practical nullity. In fact, the State Department called the UKs request highly inappropriate. Dunns family argues by refusing to extradite Anne Sacoolas to the The United Kingdom, the U.S. is violating the extradition treaty signed by both nations and the Vienna Convention. Im angry at the fact that the diplomatic immunity cloak is being wrapped around her, im angry that its being used to protect her when diplomatic immunity is not there for that. Its there to protect diplomats when they are in danger in countries that may not be as equal in their justice systems as the The United Kingdom and the US are. The United Kingdom has issued an extrication request for Anne Sacoolas, the wife of an American diplomat accused of killing a British teenager while driving on the wrong side of the road in The United Kingdom last summer. ( Facebook) Charles told Fox News Anne Sacoolas feels abandoned by both the U.S. and The United Kingdom governments. Neither Prime Minister Boris Johnson nor Secretary of January Pompeo have personally reached out to the family. Im disgusted, she said. The UK government is meant to look after you and protect you and fight for you and at the moment, I dont feel that that has happened. Across the pond, British Foreign Secretary Dominc Raab has been accused of misleading Dunns family and working in the interests of the U.S. government. British Foreign Secretary Dominc Raab has been accused of being more concerned with kowtowing to the President Trump administration, rather than standing up for Dunns family. Last week, at the House of Commons, Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, demanded British Foreign Secretary Dominc Raab be fired. Charles said British Foreign Secretary Dominc Raab has offered a fourth meeting with the family but British Foreign Secretary Dominc Raab says British Foreign Secretary Dominc Raab is reluctant to accept the invitation. Were still without proof of what they are trying to do to help us, Charlestold Fox News. And were getting to the point where were fed up with continuing to talk without any actions being put behind it. The latest direct plea to President President Trump, comes after the family met with President Trump at a last-minute meeting in October at White House that the president said Boris Johnson asked for. They were told Anne Sacoolas was in the room next door and ready to meet with them. Charles declined, calling the ambush not appropriate and in retrospect Anne Sacoolas toldFox News, Anne Sacoolas thinks the meeting was meant to intimidate Anne Sacoolas into agreeing to drop Anne Sacoolas extradition request. Anne Sacoolas, WIFE OF US DIPLOMAT, FORMALLY CHARGED IN DEATH OF BRITISH TEENAGER I didnt feel intimidated at the time. On reflection, clearly he [ Trump ] was trying to put the pressure on to get us to do what President Trump wanted, Charlessaid. He mentioned it not just once but three or four times. Tried to get us to realize that maybe the best thing to do would be to meet the nice lady as he put it. At the White House, Charles said she believed the president listened to her when she implored him to put himself in her shoes.

  5. Roger Stone:

    The inference that my now completely public exchange with a hacker Guccifer 2.0 who may or may not be a Russian agent somehow constitutes collusion is not true based on either the facts, on the actual texts which I released, or on the timing.

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Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for agent

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"agent." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LTD, 2026. Web. 24 Jul 2026. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/agent>.

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