A female agent; a woman who acts as an agent or representative.
From agent (one who acts) + -ess (feminine suffix); Old French agent from Latin agere (to do, act).
Words like 'agentess' were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries when English actively feminized professions with -ess suffixes, but modern usage prefers the gender-neutral 'agent' for all people.
The -ess suffix was historically applied to feminize agent nouns, often diminishing professional status or marking women as exceptional exceptions to male norms (e.g., waitress, actress, stewardess). This practice reflects an era when male forms were default and unmarked.
Modern usage favors gender-neutral agent nouns: use 'agent' regardless of gender. When historical context requires specificity, state gender directly rather than through suffix morphology.
["agent","representative","operative"]
Women have always been agents, leaders, and professionals; the -ess suffix artificially marked them as marked categories rather than the norm.
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