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 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 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 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
  • Shortly after Lyon's email, Charles forwarded the message to a group of officials whose names are redacted.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In response to a request for comment on the incident, USPS officials shared a statement with CBS LA.
    — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of official
Noun
  • America’s goal should be more cures, more treatment options and better care, not fewer innovations dictated by Washington bureaucrats.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The order directs his administration to toughen air pollution evaluations, add noise restrictions and expand city bureaucrats’ authority to review water and electricity usage at data center facilities.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of bureaucrat
Noun
  • Responding officers heard screams coming from inside the home and ran into the basement.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The school resource officer coordinated a police response and administrators initiated a lockdown.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of officer
Noun
  • He would be sentenced to four years of formal probation, according to the clerk’s office.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Trump posted on Truth Social about the former federal appellate court clerk and Princeton University and Harvard Law School graduate.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of clerk
Noun
  • But that constant movement is also making Ebola harder to contain, complicating efforts to find infected people and trace those who may have been exposed, said Mari Ndika, an Ebola response worker involved in disease monitoring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Entry-level workers feel more pressure The effects appear to be more pronounced for those looking to start their careers.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • If a foreign state treated these law enforcement operations as armed conflict, the private sector employees running them would not be combatants under international law and would not have POW or other protections.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Fuller is nearly six months into the new position, created as Texas faces growing scrutiny over how school districts handle allegations involving teachers, coaches, and other school employees.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 19 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of functionary for Spanish Speakers

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