Meaning & use
external agency
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableformal
An organization or group from outside a particular system or country that has some influence or authority.
Grammar: Countable: an external agency, external agencies. Often used in official or academic contexts.
Patterns
- an external agency
- external agencies
- funded by an external agency
The project was evaluated by an external agency.
External agencies must approve the safety plan before work begins.
The government invited an external agency to review the case.
nouncountableformaltechnical
A force or influence that comes from outside a person or thing and causes change.
Grammar: Often used in philosophy, psychology, and social science to talk about outside forces acting on people or systems.
Patterns
- an external agency
- act through an external agency
- caused by an external agency
The change was brought about by an external agency rather than by the members themselves.
Some philosophers argue that the universe was set in motion by an external agency.
The disease is not caused by an external agency such as a virus.
Word forms
| plural | external agencies |
|---|
Common combinations
- an external agency
- An external agency will audit the accounts next month.
- external agencies
- Several external agencies are involved in the relief effort.
- funded by an external agency
- The research was funded by an external agency.
- act through an external agency
- The group claims to act through an external agency of the government.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outside body
- A more general term for any organization not part of the main group; external agency is more formal and often suggests official authority.
- third party
- Often used in legal and business contexts for someone not directly involved; external agency emphasizes that the group is an organization with power or influence.
Opposites
Commonly confused: external agency or external agent?
external agency vs external agent
An external agent is usually a person or substance that causes change, while an external agency is more often an organization or a force.
Practice
Choose the best completion: 'The charity was inspected by ______.'
Choose one answer.
The singular countable noun needs an article, and 'agency' fits an organization that inspects charities. 'External agency' without an article is ungrammatical here, 'external agent' usually refers to a person or substance, and 'external agencies' is plural and would need a plural verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “external agency”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.