foreign agent
3
6.7
- noun
- /ˈfɔrɪn ˈeɪdʒənt/
- Formal
:
agente extranjero
- A later amendment required the labeling of all informational materials issued by foreign agents, including public relations agents.
- register as foreign agents
- unregistered foreign agents
The famous law on foreign agents is something to do precisely that.
- The famous law on foreign agents is something to do precisely that.
Examples
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After months of scrutiny, he was charged with being a foreign agent who failed to report his activities.
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The committee is investigating whether certain individuals acted as foreign agents without proper registration.
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Do many foreign agents register?
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A: The US has laws that require foreign interests to register as foreign agents.
Blog text (23) -
Q: What would you say about the Russian law, according to which political parties funded from abroad should be registered as foreign agents?
Blog text (23) -
Prior to 1966, foreign agents were not even allowed to disseminate propaganda aimed at changing government policy.
Blog text (23) -
The law requires all foreign agents to disclose their funding sources to ensure transparency.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally built: a B1 learner who knows 'foreign' (relating to other countries) and 'agent' (a representative or actor) can infer 'an agent associated with foreign interests/countries'. While the full legal sense of formal designation and reporting is a technical extension, the core meaning is directly predictable and cross-linguistically common.
Etymology
Foreign agent in law comes from governments calling a person or group an agent of a foreign power when they get money or orders from abroad. That label means they have to 'register' and tell the government about their money and actions, so today it means 'a person or organisation the law says acts for foreign interests'.