government agent
16
3.7
- noun
- /ˈɡʌvərnmənt ˈeɪdʒənt/
:
agente del gobierno
- The government agent presented his credentials before entering the secure facility.
Examples
-
The government agents came into the house when I was eight.
-
We're government agents now, we should have secret code names.
-
I think this guy's a government agent.
-
Some children were bringing home the sheep in the evening when government agents approached them.
Academic text (1998) -
Mr Brady's a government agent!
-
The Action Program authorizes government agents to enforce these requirements.
Academic text (2000) -
However, early reports indicate the bombing was carried out by Chilean government agents.
-
The search warrant that was not based on probable cause was executed by government agents in good faith.
Blog text (19) -
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act sets guidelines for government agents intercepting phone calls.
Academic text (2003) -
Government agents who met with Cherokees concluded that emigration was imminent and conveyed their assurances to others.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
∞
3.7
A person who works for a government or organization and has power to make and enforce rules
∞
2.8
A person who helps and represents someone in business, legal, or official matters
624
3.5
A person who speaks or acts for other people in an official way
572
5.1
A person who manages a government department or public service
411
4.1
A senior government official who leads a major department
348
4.2
A diplomat who represents one country to another and ranks below an ambassador
223
3.6
An official person who represents their country abroad and negotiates with other countries
201
7.3
A person who works as a secret agent or detective
155
2.8
A person who works for the FBI and investigates serious crimes
141
5.6
A person who works in a government office and often cares more about rules than people
118
3.2
A person elected or appointed to carry out government work
104
3.5
A person who works for the country's government to enforce laws and investigate crimes
56
6.6
An official who lives in a foreign city and helps protect their country's people and interests
43
3.0
A person who works for the government, elected or appointed
39
6.8
A senior official who helps the head of a government department make decisions
37
3.5
A person allowed by law to do one specific task they are told to do
35
2.7
A person who works for a government department in a long-term job and is not elected
32
3.7
A government worker who makes sure people follow national laws, often in the United States
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
8
7.7
A person who has an official job in a government or large organization
5
3.7
A person in the government who leads a department and makes rules about it
2
4.1
A government official who brings criminal charges in court for the state
1
5.8
A government worker who looks into serious money crimes like tax fraud and making fake money
1
4.4
A person who works for the state in an official job
1
4.4
A person who holds an official government job that is not military
1
4.4
A person who manages office work and makes official decisions in a government or large organization
1
8.0
A United States government worker who deals with Native American tribes on a reservation
1
5.8
A government worker who gives farmers and rural families advice about farming and household matters
A person who a government or organization sends to speak for it at official meetings
A government official who represents their country in another country and ranks below an ambassador
A government worker who collects taxes from people and businesses
An old word for a senior official who a country sends to represent it in another country
How Senior
- UK
862
3.0
118
3.2
16
3.7
35
2.7
273
2.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'government' (state authority) + 'agent' (a representative or actor), forming a noun phrase meaning an official who acts on behalf of the government. This straightforward noun-noun combination mirrors common patterns across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Government agent comes from the simple idea of an agent being someone who acts for another and government meaning the state. Imagine a person the state sends to speak or act for it, so a government agent is 'an official' who represents or acts for the government today.