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 In Meyer’s hands, the adventuress sometimes recedes into a functionary. — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 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 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

Radiant’s chief nuclear officer, Rita Baranwal, said the approval covers a broader demonstration than initial criticality alone.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
In a news release, the Brandenburg Police said officers are looking into the incident.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 29 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

An ex-Garden Grove police sergeant kidnapped and assaulted a co-worker, an Orange County prosecutor says.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Xavier Becerra grew up in Sacramento’s Hollywood Park, the son of a union construction worker and parents who grew up in Mexico, packed into a 700-square-foot house with his three sisters.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 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 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of functionary

noun

Example Sentences

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