functional group
noun
: a characteristic reactive unit of a chemical compound especially in organic chemistry
Examples of functional group in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mid- to large-sized companies typically source data across various functional groups, and this data is often inconsistent.
—
Sridhar Ratakonda, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Navigating Stakeholder Buy-In: In almost every company, functional groups like to keep data close to their organization and typically do not like to share it outside of that.
—Sridhar Ratakonda, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
But the biggest improvements come when that employee can reach out to other team members—and other functional groups—to improve an entire process.
—Jason Andersen, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Scientists can modify the ring by augmenting one or more of the carbon atoms with functional groups of other atoms.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024
The adsorbent has a second functional group called a carboxylate.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2018
Then assemble a cross-functional group of evangelists from various customer-facing roles, including customer success and marketing.
—Patrick Welch, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023
The methane-producing methanogens had been detected previously, and Raymann’s study provides additional evidence that this functional group is dominant: no non-methanogenic lineages were seen in human samples.
—Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2017
My company makes sure that each hiring team includes a recruiting lead and a hiring manager, as well as a cross-functional group of colleagues who would work closely with the new employee.
—Jenny Xia Spradling, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sridhar Ratakonda, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Navigating Stakeholder Buy-In: In almost every company, functional groups like to keep data close to their organization and typically do not like to share it outside of that.
—Sridhar Ratakonda, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
But the biggest improvements come when that employee can reach out to other team members—and other functional groups—to improve an entire process.
—Jason Andersen, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Scientists can modify the ring by augmenting one or more of the carbon atoms with functional groups of other atoms.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024
The adsorbent has a second functional group called a carboxylate.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2018
Then assemble a cross-functional group of evangelists from various customer-facing roles, including customer success and marketing.
—Patrick Welch, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023
The methane-producing methanogens had been detected previously, and Raymann’s study provides additional evidence that this functional group is dominant: no non-methanogenic lineages were seen in human samples.
—Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2017
My company makes sure that each hiring team includes a recruiting lead and a hiring manager, as well as a cross-functional group of colleagues who would work closely with the new employee.
—Jenny Xia Spradling, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Functional group.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/functional%20group. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share