agent

noun

ˈā-jənt How to pronounce agent (audio)
Definition of agentnext
1
as in instrumentality
something used to achieve an end the whitening agent in the detergent is chlorine bleach the Church has been the traditional agent for social justice in impoverished countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in deputy
a person who acts or does business for another the sports agent negotiated a record-breaking contract for the baseball player

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3
as in ambassador
a person sent on a mission to represent another an undercover agent of the Crown

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4
as in spy
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country an agent feeding information about enemy troop movements

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of agent Request the lead agent’s name and agency, the prosecutor’s name, and a copy of the warrant. — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 The driver, an ICE agent, stayed near the scene and called local dispatch, Woodland Police said. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 The operation drew attention after two CIA agents and two state officials died in a car accident on their way back. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 My agent got a call from Francine Maisler, the casting director, saying that Lance was interested in talking to me about that role. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agent
  1. instrumentality
  2. deputy
  3. ambassador
  4. spy
  5. means
  6. representative
  7. delegate
  8. operative
Noun
  • Advertisement The war on terror represented a failed effort to impose a unipolar order on the world, one that could no longer rely on the economic instrumentality of globalization alone.
    — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Issued by the Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a state instrumentality created under the Wyoming Stable Token Act (2023), FRNT is fully reserved and managed in partnership with Franklin Templeton.
    — Jason Brett, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of instrumentality
Noun
  • Yotova's main challenger is economist Andrei Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the central bank and caretaker prime minister who led the country in the early months of 2026.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The video shows four deputies running after Garza along Interstate 10 in Palm Springs, with Garza facing the deputies several times while holding an object in his hands.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of deputy
Noun
  • Lubelo has also persuaded several friends to join the school, becoming something of an ambassador in a community where magic is often frowned upon and associated with witchcraft.
    — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The president leads the armed forces and can veto legislation, signs international treaties and appoints ambassadors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambassador
Noun
  • Directed by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker James Mackel, the visual is three-and-a-half minutes of spy stuff, our hero, dressed to impress, making short work of the many villains who lurk in her hotel.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control section, which prosecutes spies, is assisting the DOJ in the case.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of spy
Noun
  • Analysts attributed elevated gas prices to ongoing fighting in the Middle East, which has damaged oil infrastructure and forced firms to take up costly means of transporting crude.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Only Washington, North Carolina and Oregon tracked rejection rates with enough detail to distinguish ballots received in the mail from those received by some other means, like a ballot drop box.
    — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of means
Noun
  • Bezos hasn’t publicly confirmed the deal, and representatives for Bezos didn’t immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Delja Hancock, a motor vehicle representative for the DMV, joined the strike at its headquarters.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of representative
Noun
  • Each participant will get a tailored calendar of pre-booked meetings with teams from the JAFF Future Project selection, rights holders from JAFF IP Connection, exhibitors and other delegates.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Late last month, roughly 100 dockworker delegates from four countries rallied outside DP World’s Centerm terminal at the Port of Vancouver, following an international anti-automation summit that included Montreal’s own CUPE Local 375.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of delegate
Noun
  • Later that year, the Russian operative gave the Dutch spies access to one of the GRU’s most sensitive assets.
    — Matthew Cole, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Friend soon landed Pride & Prejudice and eventually got to play a CIA operative on Homeland.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of operative

Phrases Containing agent

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agendas
agent
agent provocateur
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Cite this Entry

“Agent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agent. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about agent

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