the profession, business, or activities of an agent
one of the cleverest spies in the history of foreign agentry
Word origin
[1920–25; agent + -ry]This word is first recorded in the period 1920–25. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Unknown Soldier, follow-up, self-service, ski jump, zipper-ry is a suffix of nouns denoting occupation, business, calling or condition, place orestablishment, goods or products, things collectively, qualities, actions, etc. Otherwords that use the affix -ry include: bottomry, casuistry, mimicry, pastry, scullery