agent

A2 Topic:Business & Commerce

US /ˈeɪ.d͡ʒənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #926

Meanings

1

noun
A person who arranges business or deals on behalf of someone else.

Her literary agent negotiated the book contract.
2

noun
A person who works secretly for a government or intelligence service; a spy.

The secret agent passed information to her superiors in London.
3

noun
A substance that produces a particular effect.

Bleach is a powerful cleaning agent.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who arranges... representative rep

More actor performer

Opposites

patient recipient undergoer

Word family

Forms agents

Derived forms agent-generalagent-orientedagentedagenteseagentessagenthoodagentialagenticagenticityagentingagentiveagentless

Related forms act action agency proxy

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Latin agēnsder. English agent From Latin agēns, present active participle of agere (“to drive, lead, conduct, manage, perform, do”).

*h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European agēns Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# agent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈeɪ.d͡ʒənt/
**Frequency rank:** 926

## Meanings
1. A person who arranges business or deals on behalf of someone else.
2. A person who works secretly for a government or intelligence service; a spy.
3. A substance that produces a particular effect.

## Examples
- Her literary agent negotiated the book contract.
- The secret agent passed information to her superiors in London.
- Bleach is a powerful cleaning agent.

## Synonyms
- actor
- performer

## Antonyms
- patient
- recipient
- undergoer

## Derived Forms
- agent-general
- agent-oriented
- agented
- agentese
- agentess
- agenthood
- agential
- agentic
- agenticity
- agenting
- agentive
- agentless

## Related Forms
- act
- action
- agency
- proxy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂eǵ-
- Root: agēns

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Latin agēnsder. English agent From Latin agēns, present active participle of agere (“to drive, lead, conduct, manage, perform, do”).

## AI Etymology
Agent comes from Latin agēns, present active participle of agere (“to drive, lead, conduct, manage, perform, do”). The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-.

## Topics
- Business & Commerce
- Register & Style

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agent

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