AGENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does agent mean? 

• AGENT (noun)
  The noun AGENT has 6 senses:

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

2. a representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations

3. a substance that exerts some force or effect

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

5. any agent or representative of a federal agency or bureau

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

  Familiarity information: AGENT used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AGENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Context example:

their research uncovered new disease agents

Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):

causal agency; causal agent; cause (any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):

biohazard; biological agent (any bacterium or virus or toxin that could be used in biological warfare)

pressor; vasoconstrictive; vasoconstrictor (any agent that causes a narrowing of an opening of a blood vessel: cold or stress or nicotine or epinephrine or norepinephrine or angiotensin or vasopressin or certain drugs; maintains or increases blood pressure)

weakener (that which weakens or causes a loss of strength)

transmitter; vector (any agent (person or animal or microorganism) that carries and transmits a disease)

teratogen (any agent that interferes with normal embryonic development: alcohol or thalidomide or X-rays or rubella are examples)

stressor (any agent that causes stress to an organism)

shortener (any agent that shortens)

satisfier (any agent capable of producing satisfaction)

retardant; retardation; retardent (any agent that retards or delays or hinders)

represser; repressor (an agent that represses)

enlivener; invigorator; quickener (an agent that gives or restores life or vigor)

mutagen (any agent (physical or environmental) that can induce a genetic mutation or can increase the rate of mutation)

motor (a nonspecific agent that imparts motion)

lethal agent (an agent capable of causing death)

infectious agent; infective agent (an agent capable of producing infection)

impairer (an agent that impairs)

eliminator (an agent that eliminates something)

relaxer (any agent that produces relaxation)

Derivation:

agency (the state of being in action or exerting power)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):

representative (a person who represents others)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):

general agent; universal agent (someone authorized to transact every kind of business for the principal)

talent agent (an agent who represents performers)

special agent (someone whose authority is limited to the special undertaking they have been instructed to perform)

shopper (a commercial agent who shops at the competitor's store in order to compare their prices and merchandise with those of the store that employs her)

shipping agent (the agent of a shipowner)

intelligence agent; intelligence officer; operative; secret agent (a person secretly employed in espionage for a government)

purchasing agent (an agent who purchases goods or services for another)

placeholder; procurator; proxy (a person authorized to act for another)

parliamentary agent (a person who is employed to look after the affairs of businesses that are affected by legislation of the British Parliament)

next friend ((law) a person who acts on behalf of an infant or disabled person)

handler (an agent who handles something or someone)

government agent (a representative or official of a government or administrative department of a government)

freight agent (an employee of a freight carrier who directs the receipt and delivery of goods)

employment agent (someone who runs an employment agency)

deputy; surrogate (a person appointed to represent or act on behalf of others)

booker; booking agent (someone who engages a person or company for performances)

bailee (the agent to whom property involved in a bailment is delivered)

literary agent (an agent who represents an author in dealings with publishers)

business agent (an agent who handles business affairs for another; especially one who deals with employers)

mill agent (the responsible official at a mill that is under absentee ownership)

Derivation:

agency (the state of serving as an official and authorized delegate or agent)

agential (of or relating to an agent or agency)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A substance that exerts some force or effect

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):

causal agency; causal agent; cause (any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results)

substance (a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):

viricide; virucide (an agent (physical or chemical) that inactivates or destroys viruses)

solvating agent (an agent that converts something into a solvate)

precipitant (an agent that causes a precipitate to form)

nerve agent; nerve gas (a toxic gas that is inhaled or absorbed through the skin and has harmful effects on the nervous and respiratory system)

mitogen (an agent that triggers mitosis)

lactogen (any agent that enhances milk production)

lactifuge (any agent that reduces milk secretion (as given to a woman who is not breast feeding))

inducer (an agent capable of activating specific genes)

hypoglycaemic agent; hypoglycemic agent (any of various agents that decrease the level of glucose in the blood and are used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus)

hypnagogue (an agent that induces drowsiness or sleep)

galactagogue (agent that induces milk secretion)

emmenagogue (any agent that promotes menstrual discharge)

diluent; dilutant; thinner (a diluting agent)

coolant (a fluid agent (gas or liquid) that produces cooling; especially one used to cool a system by transferring heat away from one part to another)

coagulant; coagulator (an agent that produces coagulation)

chemical agent (an agent that produces chemical reactions)

blanching agent; bleach; bleaching agent; whitener (an agent that makes things white or colorless)

bacteriostat (a chemical or biological material that inhibits bacterial growth)

alkaliser; alkalizer; antacid; antiacid; gastric antacid (an agent that counteracts or neutralizes acidity (especially in the stomach))

vermicide (an agent that kills worms (especially those in the intestines))

drug (a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic)

antimicrobial; antimicrobic; disinfectant; germicide (an agent (as heat or radiation or a chemical) that destroys microorganisms that might carry disease)

antifungal; antifungal agent; antimycotic; antimycotic agent; fungicide (any agent that destroys or prevents the growth of fungi)

antiflatulent (any agent that reduces intestinal gas)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

agent; broker; factor

Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):

bourgeois; businessperson (a capitalist who engages in industrial commercial enterprise)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):

ship broker (an agent for the ship owner; obtains cargo and may arrange for its loading or discharge)

travel agent (someone who sells or arranges trips or tours for customers)

syndic (one appointed to represent a city or university or corporation in business transactions)

stockbroker (an agent in the buying and selling of stocks and bonds)

estate agent; house agent; land agent; real estate agent; real estate broker (a person who is authorized to act as an agent for the sale of land)

investment banker; underwriter (a banker who deals chiefly in underwriting new securities)

general agent; insurance agent; insurance broker; underwriter (an agent who sells insurance)

auctioneer (an agent who conducts an auction)

Holonyms ("agent" is a member of...):

brokerage; brokerage firm; securities firm (a stock broker's business; charges a fee to act as intermediary between buyer and seller)

Derivation:

agential (of or relating to an agent or agency)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Any agent or representative of a federal agency or bureau

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

agent; federal agent

Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):

functionary; official (a worker who holds or is invested with an office)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "agent"):

trustbuster (a federal agent who engages in trust busting)

Fed; Federal; federal official (any federal law-enforcement officer)

Indian agent (a representative of the federal government to American Indian tribes (especially on Indian reservations))

Derivation:

agential (of or relating to an agent or agency)

Sense 6

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

agent; agentive role

Hypernyms ("agent" is a kind of...):

participant role; semantic role ((linguistics) the underlying relation that a constituent has with the main verb in a clause)

 Context examples 

It is a type of antiangiogenesis agent, a type of metastasis inhibitor, and a type of monoclonal antibody.

(Abegrin, NCI Dictionary)

Amplification of the ABCB1 gene is a major determinant in the development of multi-drug resistance, which decreases the effectiveness of many chemotherapeutic agents used in cancer treatment.

(ABCB1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

It is a type of mitotic inhibitor and a type of antimicrotubule agent.

(ABI-007, NCI Dictionary)

Administration of this agent may suppress testosterone production by both the testes and the adrenals to castrate-range levels.

(Abiraterone, NCI Thesaurus)

A standardized rating scale developed by William Guy in 1976 which is used to evaluate the severity of tardive dyskinesia in individuals taking neuroleptic agents.

(Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale Questionnaire, NCI Thesaurus)

Amplification of the ABCB1 gene is a major determinant in the development of multi-drug resistance which decreases the effectiveness of many chemotherapeutic agents used in cancer treatment.

(ABCB1 1 Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This agent decreases HIV viral loads, retards or prevents the damage to the immune system, and reduces the risk of developing AIDS.

(Abacavir, NCI Thesaurus)

The team then used whole genome sequencing to look at the patterns of changes caused by the agents and found that 41 of the suspects left a characteristic fingerprint on the stem cells’ DNA.

(‘Fingerprint database’ could help scientists to identify new cancer culprits, University of Cambridge)

It is a type of antiangiogenesis agent and a type of antimetastatic agent.

(A6, NCI Dictionary)

It is used as a biomarker to detect damage to the kidneys caused by drugs and other agents.

(AAP, NCI Dictionary)