federal agent
104
3.5
- noun
- /ˈfɛdərəl ˈeɪdʒənt/
:
agente federal
- Can you pull over the van for speeding even though you are a federal agent?
People were killed, Davidians died, federal agents were killed in the process.
- People were killed, Davidians died, federal agents were killed in the process.
- And these task forces consist of federal agents, local cops and state troopers.
- They can, they wear, they wear branded gear that says they're police and they're federal agents.
- But we do know the mayor of Portland has asked for the troops, the, the, the federal agents to leave.
- So the US attorney walks to the back of the office, opens a door, and he comes four federal agents, DEACIAII mean DEA, customs, FBI and IRS.
Examples
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The federal agents made the arrest on the state warrant and questioned the suspect about counterfeiting activities.
Academic text (2018) -
The federal agents did not have arrest authority, but the police detective did.
Academic text (2018) -
His father is a federal agent.
-
Do you know how many federal agents you had following you on that ferry?
-
The front door opens and federal agents pour into the house.
Fiction book (2001) -
- Why would a federal agent want to sabotage the green zone?
-
On the morning of September 18, federal agents arrested Lopez at his New Jersey home.
Blog text (22) -
And these task forces consist of federal agents, local cops and state troopers.
-
The investigation continues as Shelby works with federal agents to track down the K2 supplier.
Blog text (11) -
As they were led away by the federal agents, each was informed of his rights.
Synonyms
201
7.3
A person who works as a secret agent or detective
165
7.0
A police officer who works for the federal government in the United States and enforces national laws
32
3.7
A government worker who makes sure people follow national laws, often in the United States
16
3.7
A person who works for the government and acts for it
13
3.0
A person who secretly works for a government to get information about the country's safety
3
8.9
An informal name for a police officer who works for the national government in Spanish-speaking countries
How Central
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'federal' specifies the level of government and 'agent' denotes a person acting on behalf of an authority, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer an official working for the national government. This noun + modifier pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows regular English compounding, making the expression immediately understandable from its parts.
Etymology
The noun federal agent comes from the idea of an agent who acts for the federal or 'national government', like a person sent by the national leaders to work across different states. That's why federal agent now means 'an official who works for a national government', often in 'law enforcement' or 'investigations'.