Thesaurus results for FUNCTIONARIES

functionaries

noun

plural of functionary

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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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 To the extent that their fellow-citizens refer to them at all, our government functionaries are perceived not as active agents of change but as inert, self-protecting obstructions. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 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

State officials have also indicated their opposition but have yet to take legal action themselves.

— Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Mississippi’s medical examiner has completed Nolan Wells’ autopsy report, officials told NBC News on Thursday.

— Kenzi Abou-Sabe, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Definition of officials

Noun

Porter sketched Trotsky holding forth at a conference table, proselytizing to the American bureaucrats.

— Dan Chiasson, The New York Review of Books, 1 Aug. 2026
Businesses and bureaucrats got an early indicator this week of whether the World Cup was worth the cost for Los Angeles — beer sales.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of bureaucrats

Noun

Footage released by Russian state media showed heavily armed law-enforcement officers, several ambulances and other emergency vehicles at the site.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
The young woman was also receiving medical treatment when officers entered the room with body cameras.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of officers

Noun

In 2022, when the bank started requiring employees to return to the office as COVID-era restrictions eased, Arbuckle requested to continue working from home instead of commuting to uptown Charlotte.

— Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
Apple employees were banned after a raucous night of celebrations, but were welcomed back decades later when Marc & Rose Hospitality purchased the hotel in 2011.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

Definition of employees

Noun

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 4-2 on July 9 to distribute guidance to clerks saying absentee voters cannot change their ballot after it has been returned.

— Scott Bauer, Twin Cities, 29 July 2026
The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission had voted on July 9 to distribute guidance to clerks saying absentee voters cannot change their ballot after it has been returned.

— Scott Bauer, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of clerks

Noun

City inspectors soon found site safety issues, including workers who were operating machinery without proper certification and an unpermitted supported scaffold in use, according to the Department of Buildings.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
The talent drain is only expected to intensify as older workers and managers age out of their present roles.

— Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of workers

Noun

Endlessly mocked, constantly parodied, and vaguely resented, the mandarins in American civic life have no real allies or admirers.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Thankfully, a handful of citrus trees, including lemons, limes, and mandarins, can thrive in containers.

— Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 24 May 2026