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Definition of agent noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

agent

noun
 
/ˈeɪdʒənt/
 
/ˈeɪdʒənt/
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  1. a person whose job is to act for, or manage the affairs of, other people in business, politics, etc.
    • Our agent in New York deals with all US sales.
    • If you're going to rent out your house while you're abroad, you'll need someone to act as your agent here.
    • an insurance agent
    • Typical agent's fees are around 6 per cent of the sale price.
    see also estate agent, extension agent, land agent, real estate agent, station agent, travel agent
    Extra Examples
    • I have an agent who deals with all my contracts.
    • The company has developed sales through local agents in key markets.
    • an agent for a shipping company
    Topics Jobsb1, Businessb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • booking
    • ticket
    • travel
    verb + agent
    • employ
    • have
    • use
    preposition
    • through an agent
    • agent for
    See full entry
  2. a person whose job is to arrange work for an actor, musician, sports player, etc. or to find somebody who will publish a writer’s work
    • a theatrical/literary agent
    see also literary agent, press agent
    Extra Examples
    • If you want to get published, get yourself an agent!
    • She got the work through an agent.
    Topics Film and theatreb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • booking
    • ticket
    • travel
    verb + agent
    • employ
    • have
    • use
    preposition
    • through an agent
    • agent for
    See full entry
  3. (also secret agent)
    a person who works secretly to obtain information for a government or other organization
    • He was arrested by federal agents.
    • an enemy/undercover agent
    • CIA/FBI agents
    see also double agent, special agent
    Extra Examples
    • She was operating as an undercover agent in London.
    • They were suspected of acting as enemy agents.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • intelligence
    • enemy
    • foreign
    See full entry
  4. (formal) a person or thing that has an important effect on a situation
    • The charity has been an agent for social change.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • chief
    • main
    • primary
    preposition
    • agent for
    phrases
    • an agent for change
    • an agent of change
    See full entry
  5. (specialist) a chemical or a substance that produces an effect or a change or is used for a particular purpose
    • chemical/biological agents
    • cleaning/oxidizing agents
    see also nerve agent
  6. (grammar) the person or thing that does an action (expressed as the subject of an active verb, or in a ‘by’ phrase with a passive verb) compare patient
  7. see also free agent
    Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘someone or something that produces an effect’): from Latin agent- ‘doing’, from agere.
See agent in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee agent in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
given
adjective
 
 
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