Agent vs Our man in lnglewood

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Agent

Top 1,000 (very common)B1noun

Our man in lnglewood

Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Agent
 AgentOur man in lnglewood
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ˈeɪdʒənt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈeɪdʒənt/"]/🇬🇧 //aʊə mæn ɪn ˈɪŋɡlɪwʊd//🇺🇸 //aʊər mæn ɪn ˈɪŋɡlɪwʊd//
MeaningA person or thing that does something for another person or thing.A person representing something in a specific place, especially in a story or news.
ExampleThe secret agent infiltrated the enemy's facility.We need our man in Inglewood to report the latest news.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR levelB1-
Part of speechnoun
Collocationsbooking, ticket, travel, employ, have, use, through an agent, agent for, booking, ticket, travel, employ, have, use, through an agent, agent for, intelligence, enemy, foreign, chief, main, primary, agent for, an agent for change, an agent of changelocal representative, field contact, media correspondent
Antonymsclient, customer-
Common mistakesConfused with 'agency' — 'agent' refers to the person, while 'agency' refers to the organization., Using 'agent' for a person without a specific role, which makes it unclear., Mixing up meanings in different contexts, like an 'agent' in real estate versus a 'secret agent'.Confused with other similar phrases like 'man on the street'., Misused in contexts outside of reporting or storytelling.
Usage notesOften used in business or formal contexts. Not typically used in casual conversation to describe people outside their role. In legal terms, it refers to someone authorized to act on behalf of another.Often used to refer to someone working in a particular location, especially for news or stories. Suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

See it in real clips

Agent
Our man in lnglewood

Frequently asked questions: Agent vs Our man in lnglewood

What's the difference between Agent and Our man in lnglewood?

Agent: A person or thing that does something for another person or thing. Our man in lnglewood: A person representing something in a specific place, especially in a story or news.

Which is more common: Agent and Our man in lnglewood?

Agent is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Agent: The secret agent infiltrated the enemy's facility. Our man in lnglewood: We need our man in Inglewood to report the latest news.

Can I use Agent and Our man in lnglewood interchangeably?

Not always. Agent and Our man in lnglewood are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

Related comparisons