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
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
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
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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
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Likewise, empowering state bureaucrats to value individual portfolios – which are often illiquid and not easy to value – is textbook government bloat, something national voters have no tolerance for.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Removing those financial incentives would allow care to be organized around quality and access rather than distorting care into forms most favored by bureaucrats.—
Tomas J. Philipson,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The officers and the homeowner were not injured in the incident, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Authorities said some of the victims were transported by private vehicle to a local hospital before officers arrived on scene.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Universities have long balked at the idea that their athletes are employees in some way.—
ANDREW DESTIN,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
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Her family later learned that on April 23, 2021 — the day Parker found his aunt in a bleak mood — Dee had an angry confrontation over financial issues with two employees of the trucking company.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The most recent complaint against Merriam asserts that clerks have begun leaving Merriam’s staff or declining employment because of concern about mistreatment.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
1 Jan. 2026
-
But the recent complaint from the Legal Accountability Project suggests that the concerns of clerks on the Second Circuit persist.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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That measure, pushed by SEIU-UHW, a labor union representing many of the state’s health care workers, would impose a 5% tax on people with $1 billion or more in assets.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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An analysis by the National Association of Home Builders estimates tens of thousands of homes aren't being completed because there aren't enough workers.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Happy tidings for those seeking satsuma mandarins, Hokkaido cream puffs and instant yakisoba.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
3 Dec. 2025
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On Sunday, a troop of Boy Scouts helped cart mandarins to festival-goers who had purchased bags of sweet fruit.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
23 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Functionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionaries. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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