Federal Bureau of Investigation
5
3.7
- proper noun
- /ˈfɛdərəl ˈbjʊroʊ əv ɪnˌvɛstɪˈɡeɪʃən/
- Formal
:
Buró Federal de Investigaciones
- In times of crisis, the Federal Bureau of Investigation plays a crucial role in maintaining national security.
- FBI
- Federal Bureau of Investigation agents
Examples
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My name is Agent Rehnquist, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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You are now officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation...
Fiction book (1991) -
The fellow in the other car is from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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I'm with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Beginning in 1981, the Terrorism Section of the Federal Bureau of Investigation placed a number of groups that were critical of U.S. Central America policy under surveillance.
Academic text (1998) -
The federal government was actively promoting civil rights, debating anti-lynching legislation, and dispatching agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate lynchings.
Academic text (2011) -
The agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation worked tirelessly to solve the case.
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She reported her findings to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, hoping they would take action.
Synonyms
A United States government group that investigates serious crimes across the country
Surface Forms
Morphology
federal + bureau + of + investigation
The component meanings combine straightforwardly: 'federal' (relating to the national government) + 'bureau' (an official agency) + 'of investigation' (for investigating). A B1 learner who knows these words can infer this is the national/ federal agency that conducts investigations, so the phrase is compositional and readily understandable despite being a proper name.
Etymology
Federal Bureau of Investigation comes from its parts: Federal means it works for the whole country, Bureau is an office, and Investigation means 'to investigate crimes'. So the name literally says it is the national office that investigates crimes, which is why it is the main U.S. agency for looking into serious crimes.