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 More than funding, though, is needed transparency by IDNR functionaries with marina boaters and Winthrop Harbor officials. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026 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 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
  • Fire officials said the fire appeared to be cooking-related, and investigators are still determining what caused it.
    — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The league will take its time to connect with stakeholders, including players, team officials and Players Association leadership.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of official
Noun
  • This entails handing out thousands of patronage jobs to rabbis, bureaucrats, undertakers, and inspectors.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • No matter which, many families suffered much too much to let a lifelong federal bureaucrat take the Fifth Amendment 111 times.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 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
  • The settlement will be paid by Hyundai Mobis, Kia and local staffing and recruitment agencies that helped find and bring the immigrant workers to Georgia on temporary visas.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • And in Pereira, a CNN team on the ground saw rescue workers and volunteers form a human chain to remove debris and help save those trapped from an apartment building.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • Instead, the Secretary of State's office sent four employees and the Attorney General's Office sent three attorneys to court.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But that line of reasoning did not resonate with the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 6,000 Sharp employees, 81 of whom received layoff notices Tuesday.
    — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of employee

Browse Nearby Words

functionaries
functionary
functioned
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Cite this Entry

“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of functionary for Spanish Speakers

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