functionary

noun

func·​tion·​ary ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē 

plural functionaries

1

: one who serves in a certain function

2

: one holding office in a government or political party

Did you know?

For most of us, being described as a functionary wouldn't be a compliment. The word refers especially to a person of lower rank, with little or no authority, who must carry out someone else's orders. Bureaucrat is often a synonym. However, functionary can also refer to the world beyond government and offices; a character in a play, for example, could be called a functionary if it was obvious that her sole function was to keep the plot moving.

Synonyms

• official
• officer

Examples of functionary in a Sentence

He was a party functionary during the political campaign.

spoke to high-ranking functionaries at the embassy in the hopes that they could help

Recent Examples on the Web

Bigelow’s sympathetic eye for her functionaries risks the film being misread as an argument for more robust military funding. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025

Evil is aided and abetted by the banality of institutions and their functionaries. —Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025

Since then, there have been many more arrests—especially of regional functionaries at various levels. —Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025

Some were alarmed by reports that mid-tier functionaries at Exxon have been engaged in backchannel discussions with Rosneft. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for functionary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

functionary

noun

func·​tion·​ary ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē 

plural functionaries

: a person who works for a government or political party