Definition

Noun: An agency or organization within the United States government that is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and utilizing intelligence information related to national security and foreign policy.

Usage

This term refers specifically to a formal organization that is part of the U.S. intelligence community. It is used in formal, political, and security-related contexts.

Examples

• The United States intelligence agency issued a warning about the potential threat.
• She works for a United States intelligence agency but cannot discuss her specific role.
• Cooperation between different United States intelligence agencies is crucial for national security.

Advanced Usage

• "The United States intelligence agency community": Refers to the collective group of all such agencies (e.g., the CIA, NSA, FBI), often coordinated under the Director of National Intelligence.
• "A premier United States intelligence agency": Used to describe an agency considered leading or foremost in its field, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for foreign intelligence.

Variants and Related Words

• Intelligence Community (IC): The broader collective term for all executive branch agencies and organizations that conduct intelligence activities.
• Member Agency: A term used within the IC to refer to one of the constituent intelligence agencies.

Synonyms

• U.S. intelligence service
• American intelligence agency
• U.S. intelligence organization

Notes on Meaning

This is a compound noun phrase. Its meaning is specific and institutional, referring to the official organs of the U.S. government tasked with intelligence work. It does not refer to the act of intelligence gathering itself, but to the organizations that perform it.

Noun

1. an intelligence service in the United States