Agency

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈeɪ.d͡ʒən.si/

Definitions

1. The capacity to act independently and make choices that influence outcomes or circumstances
2. The power to act with autonomy and make impactful choices that determine situations or results
3. The ability to make decisions and take actions on one's own behalf ; a business or organization that offers specific services to clients or customers

Etymology: The noun "agency" traces back to a single Latin verb, "agere," meaning "to act" or "to drive." From its present participle "agēns," meaning "acting" or "doing," Medieval Latin formed "agentia," which named the quality of acting or the state of being active. That Latin root also gave English "agent," so the two words are close relatives: one names the person or thing doing the acting, the other the power to act. The word then split into two senses that look quite different today. The first, the capacity to choose and act for oneself, follows the original Latin meaning of activity closely. The second, a business or organization that provides services on someone else's behalf, comes from the idea of acting for another party, as in a travel agency or an advertising agency. Both senses grow from the same root, so a modern agency is, in effect, a body that acts on behalf of someone else.

Synonyms: company, firm, organization, authority, bureau

Antonyms: inactivity, powerlessness, impotence, subordination, dependence