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
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2
as in bureaucrat
a worker in a government agency
the faceless functionaries at the Internal Revenue Service
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of functionary
Unlike the party functionaries picked previously, all three grew up in the labor movement.
—
John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
As the German journalist Ronen Steinke argues in his own first-rate biography, Bauer’s greatest achievement was a sprawling trial of some 20 German officers and functionaries at Auschwitz, held in a Frankfurt courtroom in the mid-60s.
—Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The play drew on the verbatim testimony of SS officers, Nazi functionaries and camp survivors, to reconstruct the genocidal horror in harrowing, undeniable detail.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
The hosts were Peter Yates, a functionary at the California Department of Employment, and his wife, the pianist Frances Mullen.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for functionary
John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
As the German journalist Ronen Steinke argues in his own first-rate biography, Bauer’s greatest achievement was a sprawling trial of some 20 German officers and functionaries at Auschwitz, held in a Frankfurt courtroom in the mid-60s.
—Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The play drew on the verbatim testimony of SS officers, Nazi functionaries and camp survivors, to reconstruct the genocidal horror in harrowing, undeniable detail.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
The hosts were Peter Yates, a functionary at the California Department of Employment, and his wife, the pianist Frances Mullen.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
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City officials amplified the advisory with a New York City air quality alert of its own.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Agence France-Presse reported last week that EU officials fear Orbán will not budge this time, which, given the unanimity required among members for accession, poses a significant problem for Kyiv, unless he can be defeated in next year's election by Magyar, who backs Ukraine's membership.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Parents are far more invested in their child's academic success than any teacher, school administrator, or federal bureaucrat will ever be.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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Her mother had just died, so the last thing the caller needed was to be on hold forever waiting for a government agency bureaucrat to finally pick up the phone.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Police said the suspect sustained significant injuries in a shootout with officers who responded to the attack.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2025
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McCauley was taken into custody and charged with second-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The photo album belonged to Karl Höcker, a former bank clerk who came to Auschwitz to be commandant Richard Baer’s right-hand man.—
Karen D'Souza,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2025
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The checkout clerks at my local Stop & Shop have all but disappeared.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The now viral video has raised concerns of safety in the neighborhood and left other workers in the area fearful.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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The coveted endorsements came from the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, which represents building workers.—
Nicholas Fandos,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Still, for Black federal employees, trying to advance through the ranks of the civil service can be a bumpy road.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2025
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Sikes is survived by his wife, Amber, who is also an employee of the sheriff’s office in Columbia County, Georgia.—
Jason Volack,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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