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
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
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
-
In an effort to make that happen, officials with the city of Little Rock presented a plan for the portion of the trail at the Dillard's headquarters on Thursday at an open forum meeting at the Dunbar Community Center, inspiring hope in some cyclists and advocates.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But for Steiner, of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, the case has forced Israelis to examine the worsening clash between populist politicians and unelected bureaucrats whom some Israelis view as out of touch.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Often affiliated with the state and temples, these people were typically royalty, high-level bureaucrats and priests.—
Serdar Yalçin,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The chief and his officers’ conduct, including using chemical agents on residential streets, has spurred federal lawsuits.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
-
However, a few hours later, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers would find Kinsleigh near death in her mother's home.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Approximately 140 of Crews & Associates' employees are moving their jobs from the downtown office in the River Market District to the new location.—
Jon Walker,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Employers can create weekly forums where employees can share both AI successes and failures without judgment, then reallocate budgets away from underperforming AI experiments to pilots that are showing success.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The courthouse is named after Osvaldo Soto, a Cuban-American lawyer who led the fight in the 1980s to repeal the county’s English-only ordinance that, among other things, stopped clerks from conducting courthouse weddings in Spanish.—
Douglas Hanks
November 10,
Miami Herald,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The clerks inserted memory sticks from the tabulators with results from their local election into the laptop and a program transmitted them to the county through a dedicated, secured network.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Some families had to go without benefits for several days this month, Haynes said, and many federal workers in the Sacramento region are going unpaid in a season when the demand for food assistance always soars.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
12 Nov. 2025
-
On the back end, VA is ramping up AI uses that ease the burden on workers.—
Adam Stone,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The property has a 1,600-square-foot garage/workshop equipped with power and water for the hobbyist or car collector, and a citrus grove with Satsuma mandarins, oranges, limes and lemons.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Combining this benefit with their low-calorie content makes mandarins a helpful tool for healthy weight management.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Functionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionaries. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share