Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person hired to conduct espionage: An individual who is employed, often covertly, to collect confidential or secret information from a foreign country, organization, or business competitor through spying.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The intelligence agency recruited a new espionage agent to infiltrate the rival corporation.
  • During the Cold War, many espionage agents operated under deep cover in embassies abroad.
  • The company suspected an espionage agent was leaking its product designs to a competitor.

Advanced Usage

• "Deep-cover espionage agent": An agent who assumes a false, long-term identity to avoid detection.
  • The deep-cover espionage agent lived as a journalist for over a decade.
• "Double espionage agent": An agent who pretends to spy for one side while actually being loyal to another.
  • The double espionage agent fed false information to the enemy.

Variants and Related Words

• Spy (n): A more general term for a person who secretly collects and reports information.
  • He was accused of being a spy for a foreign power.
• Operative (n): Often used interchangeably with agent, especially in intelligence contexts.
  • The CIA operative was stationed in the capital.
• Intelligence officer (n): A broader term that can include espionage agents as well as analysts and handlers.
  • She worked as an intelligence officer for the government.

Synonyms

• Secret agent
• Undercover agent
• Mole (specifically an agent who infiltrates an organization)

Related Phrases

• Espionage network: The interconnected system of agents, handlers, and communication channels.
  • The espionage network was dismantled by counterintelligence.
• Espionage activities: The actions and operations involved in spying.
  • The diplomat was expelled for engaging in espionage activities.

Noun

1. someone employed to spy on another country or business competitor