Say it like this
- Build agentic systems that can reason independently
- We need agentic behavior from the model
- The framework enables more agentic AI applications
Use it at work
Describing a product
- We're building an agentic workflow that can open tickets on its own.
- The agentic version plans the steps and calls the APIs itself.
In a design review
- How do we stop the agentic system from taking risky actions?
- Let's add a human approval step to the agentic flow.
Talking about trends
- Most of our AI roadmap is agentic features now.
- Agentic coding tools are changing how we review code.
Don't say this
Agentic describes systems and AI, not human personality traits. Use agency or initiative for people.
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Our new system uses _______ AI that can break down complex tasks into sub-goals without human guidance.
2. You are describing a chatbot that can make decisions and take actions independently. Which sounds most natural?
3. Which sentence uses agentic incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this in natural tech English using agentic: The system can make decisions on its own and take actions without asking humans what to do each time.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"Build agentic systems that can reason independently"
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More about agentic
Real examples(3)
- in a product design meeting
"If we make the chatbot more agentic, it can handle customer support tickets end-to-end without escalating to humans every time."
- in a code review
"This agentic approach to task decomposition allows the system to tackle problems it was not explicitly trained on."
- in a technical discussion
"We're moving toward agentic AI, where models can plan, execute, and evaluate their own actions rather than just responding to prompts."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Often confused with agency or agent; agentic specifically describes behavior or systems that act autonomously. Not used to describe people as agents.
- ✕We hired an agentic developer.✓We hired a developer who takes ownership or shows initiative.
Agentic is for systems and behavior patterns, not job titles or descriptions of individuals.
- ✕Make the API more agentic by adding more endpoints.✓Make the system more agentic by adding autonomous decision-making capabilities.
Simply adding endpoints does not create agentic behavior; you need decision-making and autonomous action.
Other forms(3)
- agentic adjective
"The agentic nature of this system reduces manual intervention."
- agenically adverb
"The model behaves agenically when given complex tasks."
- agency noun
"This system demonstrates true agency in problem-solving."
Often used with(5)
- agentic AI · Most common pairing; refers to artificial intelligence with autonomous decision-making
- agentic behavior · Used to describe how systems act or perform independently
- agentic loop · A cycle where the system perceives, reasons, and acts without human input
- agentic capabilities · The set of autonomous abilities a system possesses
- more agentic · Comparative form indicating increased autonomy
Similar words(3)
- autonomous · Broader term; agentic implies goal-directed autonomy while autonomous just means self-governing
- self-directed · Similar concept but less commonly used in AI contexts
- goal-oriented · Describes behavior but does not emphasize the independence aspect as much
Opposites(4)
- reactive
- passive
- non-autonomous
- stateless
Questions(5)
- What does agentic mean in software engineering?
- In software engineering, agentic describes systems or AI that can independently perceive their environment, reason about goals, and take action without constant human direction. An agentic system makes autonomous decisions and executes actions to achieve objectives.
- How do you use agentic in a sentence at work?
- You typically use it as an adjective before a noun: agentic AI, agentic behavior, agentic capabilities. Example: We need to design an agentic system that can handle customer requests without human intervention at every step.
- Is agentic formal or informal?
- Agentic is neutral in formality, used equally in formal technical documentation, code reviews, and casual team discussions. It is appropriate for both written and spoken contexts in tech environments.
- Can you describe a person as agentic?
- In strict technical usage, no. Agentic describes systems and software, not people. For people, use words like initiative, agency, or autonomy instead.
- What is the difference between agentic and autonomous?
- Autonomous means self-governing or independent. Agentic implies autonomous behavior that is goal-directed and involves reasoning and decision-making. All agentic systems are autonomous, but not all autonomous systems are necessarily agentic.
