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 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 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 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
  • Elsewhere, Bahrain’s interior ministry said sirens were sounding and Kuwaiti army officials said air defenses were also fielding drone attacks.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • State officials say the legislation is intended to attract companies developing next-generation energy technologies.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
Definition of official
Noun
  • America’s mothers deserve better than to have their financial tools quietly stripped away by out-of-touch bureaucrats.
    — Raquel Mitchell, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026
  • These incidents rarely appear in the statistics politicians and bureaucrats cite when assuring the public that downtown is moving in the right direction.
    — Jonathan Beaton, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Definition of bureaucrat
Noun
  • No video has surfaced depicting the moment of the shooting and none of the officers were wearing body cameras.
    — Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • Hopkinson and chief financial officer Simon Capper visited Nyon, Switzerland, on multiple occasions, while the CEO also spoke to governing-body representatives in Budapest before the Champions League final in May.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of officer
Noun
  • But hundreds of family court records obtained from the Augusta District Court clerk’s office detail years of allegations of physical and verbal abuse raised by his second ex-wife on behalf of herself and his daughters.
    — Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 17 July 2026
  • Rice was 13 months old and never got to know his father, a body builder and supermarket stock clerk, according to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News.
    — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026
Definition of clerk
Noun
  • Buses come and go, bearing workers from all over the country.
    — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • Childs has been running Bectu, which represents the interests of behind-the-camera workers across TV, film and theater, since 2018, overseeing 10,000 new subscribers and an expansion into areas like live events and fashion.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 14 July 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • Only two of the union’s 22 represented employees live in El Dorado Hills, according to union data.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • The suspect entered a Wells Fargo Bank branch and demanded money from a bank employee.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 15 July 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on functionary

Nglish: Translation of functionary for Spanish Speakers

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