agency
agency (ā"jen*sy) , noun
[agentia, from Latin agens, agentis: compare French agence. See Agent.]
1.
The faculty of acting or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; instrumentality.
The superintendence and agency of Providence in the natural world.
2.
The office of an agent, or factor; the relation between a principal and his agent; business of one intrusted with the concerns of another.
3.
The place of business of an agent.
4.
An organization or business that provides some service, primarily for other organizations; as, an advertising agency.
5.
An administrative division of a government; as, a state welfare agency; a motor vehicle agency; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).