cia

C3I1A1
/ˌsiːˌaɪˈeɪ/

Obsolete form of cha

Similar
Central Intelligence Agency
CommonScrabble 5

Meanings

cia1

nouncia (uncountable)
  1. obsoleteuncountableObsolete form of cha

CIA2

proper noun

alternative C.I.A.

  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Central Intelligence Agency.

    During the hunt for Osama bin Laden in 2011, CIA operatives in Pakistan posed as aid workers and even faked an immunization campaign. To many of my Muslim friends, this CIA spycraft is no different from what covert Christian missionaries do.

    2016 August 17, Jeremy Courtney, “Three arguments against covert Christian ‘spycraft’”, in CNN, archived from the original on 28 Mar 2017
    2 more examples

    In 2009, the Obama Administration released guidelines on enhanced interrogation written in 2003 and 2004 by the CIA Office of Medical Services. ^((OMS).1-3(appendix F)) The OMS guidelines, even in redacted form, and opinions from the US Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) Office of Legal Counsel show that CIA physicians, psychologists, and other health care personnel had important roles in enhanced interrogation.

    2010 August 4, Leonard S. Rubenstein, JD; Stephen N. Xenakis, MD, “The Ethics of Enhanced Interrogations and Torture: A Reappraisal of the Argument”, in JAMA, volume 304, number 5, American Medical Association, →DOI, pages 569–570

    The Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday became the first major national security agency to offer so-called buyouts to its entire workforce, a CIA spokesperson and two other sources familiar with the offer said, part of President Donald Trump’s broad effort to shrink the federal government and shape it to his agenda.

    2025 February 4, Katie Bo Lillis, Kaitlan Collins, “CIA sends ‘buyout’ offers to entire workforce”, in CNN, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2025
  2. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Cleveland Institute of Art.
  3. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Culinary Institute of America.
  4. PhilippinesabbreviationinitialismInitialism of Clark International Airport.
nounCIA (plural CIAs)

plural CIAs · alternative C.I.A.

  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Circuit Interactive Analyzer.
  2. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Concept Illustration and Animation.
  3. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Cultural Impact Assessment.
adjectiveCIA (not comparable)

alternative C.I.A.

  1. abbreviationinitialismnot comparablegovernmentInitialism of captured-in-action.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest; headed by the Director of Central Intelligence under the supervision of the President and National Security Council

Similar
Central Intelligence Agency
Broader
United States intelligence agencyindependent agency

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Chinese茶
  2. Englishcia

From Chinese 茶 (chá) via Italian.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic سِي أَي إِي
  • سِي أَي إِي (sī ʔay ʔey)Central Intelligence Agency
Bulgarian ЦРУ, Централно разузнавателно управление
  • ЦРУ (CRU)Central Intelligence Agency
  • Централно разузнавателно управление (Centralno razuznavatelno upravlenie)Central Intelligence Agency
Chinese Mandarin 中情局, 中央情報局 /中央情报局
  • 中情局 (Zhōngqíngjú)Central Intelligence Agency
  • 中央情報局 /中央情报局 (Zhōngyāng Qíngbàojú)Central Intelligence Agency
Dutch CIA
  • CIACentral Intelligence Agency
Finnish CIA
  • CIACentral Intelligence Agency
Greek Κεντρική Υπηρεσία Πληροφοριών
  • Κεντρική Υπηρεσία Πληροφοριών (Kentrikí Ypiresía Pliroforión)Central Intelligence Agency
Hindi सी आइ ए
  • सी आइ ए (sī āi e)Central Intelligence Agency
Japanese シー・アイ・エー, 中央情報局
  • シー・アイ・エー (Shī Ai Ē)Central Intelligence Agency
  • 中央情報局 (Chūō Jōhōkyoku)Central Intelligence Agency
Korean 시아이에이, 중앙정보국
  • 시아이에이 (siaiei)Central Intelligence Agency
  • 중앙정보국 (Jung'angjeongboguk)Central Intelligence Agency
Lithuanian CŽA, CŽV
  • CŽACentral Intelligence Agency
  • CŽVCentral Intelligence Agency
Persian سیا
  • سیا (siyâ)Central Intelligence Agency
Polish CIA
  • CIACentral Intelligence Agency
Portuguese CIA
  • CIACentral Intelligence Agency
Russian ЦРУ, Центра́льное разве́дывательное управле́ние
  • ЦРУ (CRU)Central Intelligence Agency
  • Центра́льное разве́дывательное управле́ние (Centrálʹnoje razvédyvatelʹnoje upravlénije)Central Intelligence Agency
Spanish CIA
  • CIACentral Intelligence Agency
Thai ซีไอเอ
  • ซีไอเอCentral Intelligence Agency
Ukrainian ЦРУ, Центра́льне розві́дувальне управлі́ння
  • ЦРУ (CRU)Central Intelligence Agency
  • Центра́льне розві́дувальне управлі́ння (Centrálʹne rozvíduvalʹne upravlínnja)Central Intelligence Agency

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

cia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cia

MLA

“cia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cia. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cia,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cia.

Source: cia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.