1
as in officials
a person who holds a public office
spoke to high-ranking functionaries at the embassy in the hopes that they could help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bureaucrats
a worker in a government agency
the faceless functionaries at the Internal Revenue Service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of functionaries
This Levantine subculture socialized in French, voiced endearments in Arabic, communicated with functionaries in Turkish.
—
Joseph O’Neill, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
More than funding, though, is needed transparency by IDNR functionaries with marina boaters and Winthrop Harbor officials.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
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
But this newsletter is more focused on how Trump and his fawning functionaries speak about and for him.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Surrounded by allies, rivals, and functionaries with their own agendas, Roh navigates a dense network of relationships in his bid to claim the top seat for himself.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Joseph O’Neill, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
More than funding, though, is needed transparency by IDNR functionaries with marina boaters and Winthrop Harbor officials.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
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
But this newsletter is more focused on how Trump and his fawning functionaries speak about and for him.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Surrounded by allies, rivals, and functionaries with their own agendas, Roh navigates a dense network of relationships in his bid to claim the top seat for himself.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionaries
Noun
-
Los Angeles police are investigating the fatal stabbing of actor James Handy, who officials said was killed by his girlfriend’s son Wednesday at a home in Tarzana.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
-
Last month, senior Moscow officials attended the inauguration of a war memorial complex in Pyongyang, where soldiers fighting for Russia were honored and a message from Putin was read aloud.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Additionally, those Latino Trumpers do not like bureaucrats.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Over the past year, a group of lawyers recorded 486 state treason and espionage cases brought against Russian scientists, bureaucrats, military figures, and other government employees.—
Anna Nemtsova,
Time,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
There was already a large police presence at the scene, including off-duty officers working for the festival, and some officers heard the shots.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
As officers still watched, without approaching due to the possibility that the suspect was armed with a gun, the homeowner came out onto their porch and appeared to be shouting at the suspect.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The nine missing people are all employees of the mill.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Washington’s wife, Toni Washington, criticized jail employees for not searching inmates more thoroughly for drugs, and for placing Asaiah in a cell with an inmate who had been caught smuggling drugs into the jail before.—
Theresa Clift
May 29,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Detectives are investigating an armed robbery at a sandwich shop in Southeast Michigan during which the suspect demanded cash from the clerks on duty, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
The law, which takes effect in 2028, would require nonpartisan elections for district attorneys, solicitors general, county commissioners, court clerks and tax commissioners.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Now Crosswhite can acknowledge the beauty in the art, respect the workers who crafted the carvings, and appreciate the opportunity to tell a story larger than the monument itself.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Maxim voiced frustration that repairs weren’t happening quickly enough and resentment at the intrusion on his privacy as workers came in and out.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Thankfully, a handful of citrus trees, including lemons, limes, and mandarins, can thrive in containers.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
24 May 2026
-
Are mandarins and oranges good for you?—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionaries. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
