an administrative unit of government
"the Central Intelligence Agency"
"the Census Bureau"
"Office of Management and Budget"
"Tennessee Valley Authority"
a business or organization that provides a particular service, especially the mediation of transactions between two parties
"We hired a real estate agency to help us sell our home and find the right buyer."
the state of being in action or exerting power
"the agency of providence"
"she has free agency"
the state of serving as an official and authorized delegate or agent
"The local government granted the nonprofit agency exclusive authority to distribute food relief in the affected region."
The capacity, condition, or state of acting or of exerting power.
"The new policy aims to restore a sense of agency to community members by giving them direct control over local development projects."
In plain English: Agency is the power to act independently and make your own choices.
"The travel agency helped us book our flights and hotel rooms for the trip."
Usage: Agency refers to the ability to act independently and make one's own choices rather than being controlled by external forces. Use this term when describing an individual's power to initiate action or influence outcomes in their life.
The word agency comes from the Medieval Latin agentia, which is derived from the Latin verb meaning "to act." It entered English to describe the power or capacity to act independently.