1
as in official
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 bureaucrat
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 functionary
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
See All Example Sentences for functionary
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
See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
-
Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a Board of Trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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An internal affairs investigation has been launched after San Diego police clashed with several people in the Gaslamp Quarter early Sunday, deploying Tasers and pepper spray as violent fights broke out amid a large crowd, police officials said.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
At scale, the petty-minded bureaucrats implementing an agenda to sanitize American history, and to erase or suppress political dissent, have committed and will continue to commit a great deal of mischief.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
The free market allows discovery of best ways to inhibit and punish undesirable behavior — ways politicians and bureaucrats could never discover.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Upon arrival, officers located a person with a single gunshot wound.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
One of them, former Imperial officer the Client (Werner Herzog), hires Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) to retrieve an asset.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The judges face a ticking clock as local election clerks prepare to finalize ballots for the August primaries by May 26 and decisions in the three cases are likely to come quickly.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
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Khatri approached the undercover officer who had just presented the store’s clerk with a fake $1,000 winning ticket, court records show.—
Jack Jankowski,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
An afternoon stroll with Oscar (Diego Calva), who begins as Arlo’s social worker and becomes Peter’s love interest, is invitingly honey-colored in the sunlight, while a druggy nightclub hookup devolves into a dreamy blur of body parts.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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Others are alive with the sound of hammers and saws, as workers frame new construction.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The court recommended that the petition be dismissed, and that the organizations be given one month to submit the employee lists.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Nine were arrested, including two museum employees, several tour guides, and the alleged mastermind.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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