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
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
Surrounded by allies, rivals, and functionaries with their own agendas, Roh navigates a dense network of relationships in his bid to claim the top seat for himself.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for functionary
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
Surrounded by allies, rivals, and functionaries with their own agendas, Roh navigates a dense network of relationships in his bid to claim the top seat for himself.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
-
Romig, the former agency official, told me that there are various ways to fudge the numbers.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Spanish officials say the ship will dock at the Granadilla port in Tenerife, where passengers will be allowed to leave the ship.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Local communities, not federal bureaucrats, deciding what enters their own marketplace is not a radical idea.—
Jesse Plunkett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
Take away the competition, substitute bureaucrats for private ownership, and the mess starts.—
Star Parker,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
One of the owners told officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that 31 other sloths, from Guyana and Peru, had died — either on the way to the attraction or after arriving and being stored over cold nights in a building with no heat or running water.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
His attorney had asked officers to check on him, investigators said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Many departments, including code enforcement, registrar, the clerk's office, health, tax and finance and assessor's office, are closed due to a power outage.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
-
The convictions included 50 lawyers, as well as court clerks, police officers and sheriff’s deputies.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
And inside the adjacent soft pretzel shop, two workers leaned over on the counter, watching videos on a phone to pass the time.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Earlier this week the United Nations blasted Israel over its strikes killing healthcare workers, saying the World Health Organization has recorded 151 such attacks resulting in 103 deaths and 230 injuries.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
As of December, Cloudflare had 5,156 employees.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Shelter employees identified him through an NYPD CrimeStoppers alert, leading to his arrest two days later.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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