functionary

noun

ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce functionary (audio)
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

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

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 Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries. — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026 But as the courts whittle away at the power of government functionaries to interpret vague congressional statutes, at least one federal agency has apparently chosen lawless rebellion. — Editorial, Boston Herald, 5 Nov. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
  1. official
  2. bureaucrat
  3. officer
  4. clerk
  5. worker
  6. employee
Noun
  • DeKalb County Sheriff's officials said, shortly after noon, a 2025 Mazda CX-5, a Mack semi-tractor trailer hauling gravel, and a 2013 Nissan Altima collided at the intersection of Illinois Route 23 and Melms Road.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Clayton County Water Authority officials said a service disruption that temporarily knocked out water to parts of the county was possibly a cyberattack.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of official
Noun
  • The bureaucrats in Brussels are struggling to keep up with the breakneck pace of technological progress.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But when a bureaucrat from Seoul arrives, stubbornly ignoring all warnings to avoid the infection, Mu-young must decide who she is truly meant to protect.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of bureaucrat
Noun
  • Members of the Montreal City Police Department found the weapon, a Glock 26, on August 30, 2024, when officers raided a home in relation to a kidnapping investigation, court records show.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Banks hired more loan officers, credit analysts, personal bankers, and fraud and risk specialists.
    — Adam Schickling, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of officer
Noun
  • Hersey — reporting on a clerk, a tailor’s widow, two doctors, a priest, and a pastor — gave US readers their first sense of what the new superweapon did to human bodies.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • His military occupational specialty was warehouse clerk, and his final assignment was with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Pendleton.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of clerk
Noun
  • Search and rescue efforts included nearby residents, emergency services, healthcare workers, security personnel and an expert team from the local disaster prevention office, per the BBC.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a 41-year-old migrant being held at the Delaney Hall detention center, was pronounced dead on Saturday by medical workers at University Hospital in Newark, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Monday.
    — Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • The order is opposed by unions representing state workers, who argue employees will foot the cost of Newsom’s mandate, through expenses like gas and parking.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • That’s the Dollar General employee turned tryout football player turned military student turned statistical anomaly in him.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of employee

Browse Nearby Words

functionaries
functionary
functioned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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