espionage agent
1
5.8
- noun
- /ˈɛspiənɑːʒ ˈeɪdʒənt/
- Specialized
:
agente de espionaje
- Two, more probably than not, he has since been functioning as an espionage agent.
Examples
-
Comin' to land a couple of espionage agents, maybe?
-
As an espionage agent, Dr Graf?
-
We are even training animals as espionage agents.
-
Counter espionage agent.
-
Through physio-electrical imaging, I can make them look like anyone, yet the cunning and intelligence of the world's greatest espionage agents all rolled into tiny packages I call "Spy Kids"!
-
He warned that China was sneaking espionage agents into the United States by purchasing false papers and that the Communists planned to organize the newcomers who are in the United States illegally and therefore are subject to blackmail.
Academic text (1998) -
The government hired several espionage agents to gather information about the rival country's nuclear program.
-
To uncover corporate secrets, many companies employ espionage agents to infiltrate their competitors.
-
An espionage agent was caught trying to steal confidential documents from the military base.
Synonyms
623
2.9
A person who secretly collects information for a government or company
201
7.3
A person who works as a secret agent or detective
82
8.2
A person who secretly works inside an organization to pass information to an enemy
33
3.7
A person who works for the government to collect and report secret information about threats to the country
27
3.4
A person who gathers hidden information for a government about enemies
18
4.1
A person who works secretly for the police to gather information while hiding who they are
13
3.0
A person who secretly works for a government to get information about the country's safety
12
8.2
A person who secretly enters a place to get secret information or cause harm
8
7.5
A person who manages secret sources who give information to a spy agency
8
3.9
A person who collects and studies information about threats for the government or military
A person who works secretly inside another group to get information
How Professional
- Specialized
33
3.7
- Specialized
1
5.8
27
3.4
623
2.9
165
5.6
26
7.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound's meaning is directly composed from 'espionage' (the act of spying) + 'agent' (a person who acts on behalf of others), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a person who carries out spying. This structure is a transparent noun-noun combination common across languages, making it readily comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The two-word phrase espionage agent joins espionage which means 'secret spying' and agent which means 'a person sent to do a job'. Picture someone sent into another country to act quietly and collect secrets, so it means 'a person who gets secret information for a country or company'.