agency

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a department or office that is part of a government.

n. an administrative unit or department of a government responsible for specific functions or oversight.

日本語:機関※

Español:agencia

“The environmental agency is testing the water for pollution.”

“Several federal agencies collaborated on the disaster relief effort to ensure that resources reached the affected regions as quickly as possible.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Academic

n. the ability to make your own choices and take action to change your life.

n. the capacity of an individual to act independently and exercise free choice within a social structure.

“The program helps young people feel they have agency over their own future.”

“Sociologists often debate the extent to which social structures limit an individual's sense of agency in modern society.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal

n. the way or the person through which something is achieved.

n. the state of being in action or the medium through which power is exerted or an end is achieved.

“The two countries reached an agreement through the agency of a neutral mediator.”

“The virus was spread through the agency of migratory birds, making it difficult for local authorities to contain the outbreak.”