A'GENCY, noun [Latin agens. See Act.] 1. The quality of moving or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; operation; instrumentality; as, the agency of providence in the natural world. 2. The office of an agent, or factor; business of an agent entrusted with the concerns of another; as, the principal pays the charges of agency
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI