Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Central Intelligence Agency

Central Intelligence Agency

22 2.8
A United States government organization that collects secret information about other countries
  • proper noun
  • /ˈsɛntrəl ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns ˈeɪdʒənsi/
: Agencia Central de Inteligencia
  • Even prior to Allende's electoral victory, the Central Intelligence Agency began preparations for his removal.
  • Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
  • U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
  • Central Intelligence Agency report

So Kryptos is KRYPTOS sculpture by the American artist Jim Sandburg, located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Former President George H. W. Bush, who headed the Central Intelligence Agency before being elected president, stopped short of removing Hussein.

    Academic text (2003)

  • You're the director of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America, for God's sake.

    The Bourne Legacy (2012)

  • I work for the Central Intelligence Agency.

    Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

  • Mr. Shaw... have you ever been a contract agent for the Central Intelligence Agency?

    JFK (1991)

  • Doctor, do you still hold a top secret security clearance from the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States?

    Justice Is Mind (2013)

  • The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Central Intelligence Agency.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Congressional oversight of the Central Intelligence Agency is a perfect example.

    Academic text (1990)

  • R. James Woolsey is a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Cuyahoga Falls native Mike Morell is now the Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

    Blog text (14)

  • R. James Woolsey served as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency during the 1990s.

Synonyms

CIA
vsCentral Intelligence Agency
783 2.8

A US government agency that gathers information about other countries to protect national security

focuses on coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad

Surface Forms

Central Intelligence Agency main

Morphology

central + intelligence + agency

The parts 'central' (main), 'intelligence' (security/military information) and 'agency' (an organization) combine compositionally to denote a principal organization that handles intelligence; a B1 learner who knows those words will readily infer it refers to an intelligence organization. They might not infer the US-specific name or full remit (e.g., overseas operations, counterintelligence) from the constituents alone, but the core meaning is directly derivable. Similar noun-noun constructions exist across many languages, supporting clear transparency.

Etymology

Central Intelligence Agency is a name that creates a simple picture: central is the main office, intelligence means secret 'information', and agency is an organization. Imagine a central room where reports from spies around the world arrive — that's why the name fits: it is the U.S. organization that gathers and organizes secret information from other countries.