Thesaurus results for FUNCTIONARY

functionary

noun

ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē

Definition of functionary

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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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 Pernkopf was a Nazi functionary who became dean of the medical faculty in 1938 and rector of the university in 1943. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Both Washington and Mexico City have launched crackdowns against a complex web of unscrupulous functionaries, front companies and document fraudsters, among others. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for functionary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary

Noun

There are so many organizations working to protect the voting process -- including many that cannot legally coordinate with each other -- that some officials involved worry about unintentionally creating chaos outside polling locations.

— STEVE PEOPLES, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Although officials have not released details about the cause of death, scientists agree that if it was caused by ordinary plague, the wider world has little to worry about.

— Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of official

Noun

Vying for dominance as well are the haughty, self-serving bureaucrats of the area’s bustling capital of South Wood (Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson), who pull their political strings from the relative safety of the grand Pittock Mansion.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
And if Sandra Hüller comes through with a best supporting actress nomination for her deadpan, karaoke-singing bureaucrat?

— Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of bureaucrat

Noun

According to the district’s chief business officer Gerardo Castillo, Sac City Unified’s initial report included only its 2025-26 expenditures and left out spending from 2024-25.

— Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Mike Krieger, Anthropic’s chief product officer and an advisor at Collective[i], summed it up in a single line.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of officer

Noun

In August 2023, Bangs offered LaGrone an earlier plea agreement under which he would have been sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to a record in the district clerk’s file.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said that the clerks who didn't comply with the government's demands could face prosecution as well.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of clerk

Noun

In new measures, the army said most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli West Bank settlements on Sunday and Monday, and crossings into Israel will remain closed until after Israel's elections on Tuesday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Crump also highlighted that Foster was accused of making a racially offensive remark to a co-worker days before the shooting, according to Mississippi Today.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of worker

Noun

Safety begins with owners and boards and extends to every employee operating an attraction.

— Dennis Speigel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
The proposal returned to the Baltimore County Council Tuesday, reigniting discussion over compensation for the county’s highest-ranking officials as some government employees continue pressing for higher pay.

— Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of employee

Browse Nearby Words

functionaries

functionary

functioned

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Style

“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of functionary

noun

Example Sentences

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