agencia

Agencia is a noun used in Spanish and Portuguese to denote an organization that provides services, represents others, or acts on behalf of clients. In business, an agency connects clients with products or expertise and may handle tasks such as marketing, recruitment, travel arrangements, or media distribution. The term is also common for public bodies with a defined mandate and operational responsibilities.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin agentia, via Old French agence, from agere “to do, to act.” In Romance languages, forms include agencia (Spanish), agência (Portuguese), and agence (French).

Common types include travel agencies (agencia de viajes), advertising agencies, employment agencies, and talent or creative agencies in the private sector; news agencies (agencia de noticias) that gather and distribute information to media; and digital agencies that manage online marketing and technology services. In the public sector, regulatory agencies and space agencies are specialized bodies implementing policy with some administrative autonomy.

Characteristics and roles vary by country and sector, but agencies typically operate as intermediaries or service providers, with formal recognition in law, defined scopes of work, and client or public accountability. The concept also appears in organizational and political contexts as a framework to describe how principals authorize agents to act on their behalf.