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
-
Investigating active government officials in Mexico is a new strategy for the United States, which in the past refrained from targeting sitting leaders in allied countries with criminal investigations because of the clear political ramifications.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Schloesser, who has worked at Amazon for nearly six years, urged Seattle officials to require data center developers to commit to using renewable energy to power facilities and no longer use non-disclosure agreements or shell companies when announcing new projects.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The problem is the bureaucrats aren't aware of the severity of the issue, while Ira, Harry, and Wayne uncover more facts about the circumstances.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
8 June 2026
-
Instead of addressing the problem head-on, the bureaucrats at the Federal Trade Commission launched an antitrust investigation into fertilizer companies.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
Residents and festivalgoers were urged to avoid the area and expect a significant law enforcement presence as officers continue their search and investigators work to determine what led to the shooting.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The estimated number of outstanding ballots to be processed is 148,100, according to the registrar-recorder/county clerk as of the June 8 ballot count update.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of embezzlement by a clerk or agent, along with an enhancement alleging aggravating circumstances.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Gang intervention workers have been credited by city officials as one of the factors behind significant reductions in violent crime in recent years, with homicides and shootings both falling to near-historic lows.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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The implosion occurred during a shift change, and the six workers whose bodies were found were in an area of the site where workers would go before their shift, Matt Amos, Longview fire battalion chief, said, per The Guardian.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Startup Moonshot, behind the Kimi AI model, was founded by former Meta AI and Google Brain employee Yang Zhilin.—
Evelyn Cheng,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
Roman said many former employees are holding onto the idea anyway.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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