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
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
See All Example Sentences for functionary
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
See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
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Two injured residents, a 25-year-old mother with severe burns and a 2-year-old child with serious injuries, were transported to hospitals, officials said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The organization works with law enforcement and other officials to find missing children, including publishing age-progression images.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Education decisions belong with parents, not bureaucrats.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
When Vance attended the annual Munich Security Conference as a first-term senator, in 2024, he got fed up with the European Union bureaucrats and took off early to reconnect with Dreher, who had come from Budapest, over beer and sausages.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Frontex's standing corps is set to reach 10,000 officers by the end of the year -- double the number employed in 2021 -- reflecting the policy shift and expectations of sustained pressure along key routes.—
LEFTERIS PITARAKIS,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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Interim executive director David White, former NFLPA president and eventual chief strategy officer JC Tretter and American Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti are on the list, two sources briefed on the matter confirmed to The Athletic.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The conservatorship ended in 2021, according to the outlet, which cited confirmation from a clerk for the Los Angeles Superior Court.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
-
West, in an interview Monday, said the arrangement keeps each party in charge of its primary and avoids friction that has occurred when clerks from different parties worked side by side.—
Tracey McManus,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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First, famed filmmaker James Cameron endorsed Paramount, saying a Netflix takeover would lead to massive job losses in the entertainment industry, which is already reeling from a production slowdown in Southern California that has disrupted the lives of thousands of film industry workers.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The Labor Department published a rule Friday that would undo egregious attempts during the last administration to classify more workers as employees rather than independent contractors.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Relatives can give up to $5,000 per year to the accounts, and companies can give their employees and employees' children $2,500.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
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The Zalando prize money helped Gassanoff pay his rent, keep his one employee and two interns, produce the next collection, and compensate the artisans who made it.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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