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 of functionary

• 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

In Meyer’s hands, the adventuress sometimes recedes into a functionary. — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Pernkopf was a Nazi functionary who became dean of the medical faculty in 1938 and rector of the university in 1943. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Both Washington and Mexico City have launched crackdowns against a complex web of unscrupulous functionaries, front companies and document fraudsters, among others. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

But Díaz-Canel is largely viewed by experts as a functionary, a loyalist without much true authority. — Ellen Uchimiya, CBS News, 19 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for functionary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

functionary

noun

func·​tion·​ary ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē 

plural functionaries

: a person who works for a government or political party