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
-
Riverside County officials said there were no updates on the active investigation.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
-
However, several other disturbances broke out as hundreds of people on the beach attempted to leave simultaneously, officials noted.—
Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Over the past year, a group of lawyers recorded 486 state treason and espionage cases brought against Russian scientists, bureaucrats, military figures, and other government employees.—
Anna Nemtsova,
Time,
23 May 2026
-
The Empire is full of bickering bureaucrats, which is fun to watch though bad for getting the Death Star done in a timely manner, and Darth Vader power walks into scenes that both undermine his icon status yet also cement it.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Customers who still came to Epic Studio Barbers & Stylist in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood on Diversey Avenue no longer arrived in large family groups but alone, sprinting from their cars for fear of being stopped by immigration officers.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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The law excluded unions representing police, fire and correctional officers, which are more supportive of Republican leaders.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
On March 2, 2023, the jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching a guilty verdict, which clerk Becky Hill read aloud.—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
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The clerk shared with her that the officiant didn’t turn in the proper paperwork following her ceremony, making her initial license null and void after 60 days.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
After the landing, Starship toppled over into the ocean waters and exploded in a magnificent fireball (again, as planned) as SpaceX workers cheered.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
23 May 2026
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Parallel with that, city enforcement is essential to holding accountable the app companies dispatching the 65,000-plus e-bike delivery workers within timeframes that impel the breaking of traffic laws.—
Michael Miller,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The court recommended that the petition be dismissed, and that the organizations be given one month to submit the employee lists.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Nine were arrested, including two museum employees, several tour guides, and the alleged mastermind.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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