Main Entry: ¹func·tion

Pronunciation: \ˈfəŋ(k)-shən\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin function-, functio performance, from fungi to perform; probably akin to Sanskrit bhuṅkte he enjoys

Date: 1533

1 : professional or official position : occupation
2 : the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists : purpose
3 : any of a group of related actions contributing to a larger action; especially : the normal and specific contribution of a bodily part to the economy of a living organism
4 : an official or formal ceremony or social gathering
5 a : a mathematical correspondence that assigns exactly one element of one set to each element of the same or another set b : a variable (as a quality, trait, or measurement) that depends on and varies with another <height is a function of age>; also : result <illnesses that are a function of stress>
6 : characteristic behavior of a chemical compound due to a particular reactive unit; also : functional group
7 : a computer subroutine; specifically : one that performs a calculation with variables provided by a program and supplies the program with a single result

— func·tion·less \-ləs\ adjective

synonyms function, office, duty, province mean the acts or operations expected of a person or thing. function implies a definite end or purpose that the one in question serves or a particular kind of work it is intended to perform <the function of language is two-fold: to communicate emotion and to give information — Aldous Huxley>. office is typically applied to the function or service expected of a person by reason of a trade or profession or a special relationship to others <they exercise the offices of the judge, the priest, the counsellor — W. E. Gladstone>. duty applies to a task or responsibility imposed by one's occupation, rank, status, or calling <it is the judicial duty of the court, to examine the whole case — R. B. Taney>. province applies to a function, office, or duty that naturally or logically falls to one <I felt it was not my province to inquire — Anne Brontë>.