Definition of functionarynext
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

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 functionary Pernkopf was a Nazi functionary who became dean of the medical faculty in 1938 and rector of the university in 1943. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Both Washington and Mexico City have launched crackdowns against a complex web of unscrupulous functionaries, front companies and document fraudsters, among others. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 But Díaz-Canel is largely viewed by experts as a functionary, a loyalist without much true authority. — Ellen Uchimiya, CBS News, 19 May 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 See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
  • An Allan Hancock College spokesperson confirmed the detention and said college officials were not notified in advance.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There have been 1,004 cases, including 198 hospitalizations and five deaths, state officials said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • These are scientists, academics, and bureaucrats speaking with their own distinct terminology and often talking past one another.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But elevating the whims of progressive activists and government bureaucrats above the wisdom of the marketplace has proven a costly mistake and undermined consumer choice.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • That officer then shot into Perez's vehicle, lodging a bullet in his back, officials say.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The message described a company with €80 billion in annual revenue that was looking for a chief sustainability officer.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Earlier this year, Newsom called for local elections clerks to count ballots faster to head off misinformation ahead of the June 2 primary.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Some budgetary concern No formal opposition arguments have been submitted to the registrar-recorder/county clerk.
    — Jon Regardie, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Prescription drugs filled at a pharmacy represented 18% of a worker’s health care premium in 2021, after factoring in any rebates paid out by manufacturers, according to the consulting and actuarial firm Milliman.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Face masks were distributed to local kindergartens, and mandatory mask mandates were slapped on workers at the nearby Irkutsk Aluminum Plant.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But Young noted that the child's lawyer, the judge, and government attorneys seeking deportation will all be federal employees.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The service The service at Sala is seamless and friendly, and from arrival, the front desk staff feels more like a group of friends than a removed set of hotel employees.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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