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
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2
as in bureaucrats
a worker in a government agency
the faceless functionaries at the Internal Revenue Service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of functionaries
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
Proposal 5 was actually a bit of skilled electoral craft on the part of the city’s map functionaries.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 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
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
Proposal 5 was actually a bit of skilled electoral craft on the part of the city’s map functionaries.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionaries
Noun
-
Davis is not cleared for basketball activities and will be reevaluated in two weeks, Wizards officials said.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Although the families have identified some of the deceased, officials have not yet released the names of those killed, and extreme weather in the area has continued to stymie efforts to retrieve their remains.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Education decisions belong with parents, not bureaucrats.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
When Vance attended the annual Munich Security Conference as a first-term senator, in 2024, he got fed up with the European Union bureaucrats and took off early to reconnect with Dreher, who had come from Budapest, over beer and sausages.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The trial is part of a broader push to hold more people accountable for a school shooting, including the shooter’s parents and responding law enforcement officers.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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But until May, they were understood to not allow law enforcement officers to enter a suspect's home.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Variety has also recently reported that most WBD employees favor Netflix over Paramount as a potential buyer.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Perplexity also funds prizes like $500 gift cards, AirPods, and Oura Rings for their clients’ employees who win a follow-up eight-week challenge to integrate AI into their workflows.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
My main focus is more transparency and freedom of information from the clerks office.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Courts work collaboratively with clerks, legal aid organizations, and bar associations to expand educational materials, improve accessibility, and help people navigate the system effectively.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The workers seek health insurance, fairer wages and protection of their online content — rights that could set a precedent for the industry.—
Jessica Hill,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Texas should invest in workforce readiness so workers can adapt and compete without stifling innovation with premature regulation.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, mandarins, pomelos, and kumquats are among the most nutrient-dense citrus fruits.—
Zia Sherrell,
Health,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Notes of ripe, fresh mangoes, fragrant mandarins, and blood oranges, and undertones of lemon leaf spark energy and invigoration.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionaries. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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