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
Relevance
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
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
-
Brown was issued a desk appearance ticket by cops for resisting arrest and obstruction of government administration, officials said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fiduciary standards are developed in part by government bureaucrats.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The bureaucrats of the New Deal understood that very well.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The suspect drove through several red lights while officers trailed behind in the Westchester, Inglewood and South LA neighborhoods.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The Tulare County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) said in a statement shared on Facebook that Morales opened fire on them, striking an officer later identified as Deputy Randy Hoppert, 35.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This has actually been a plot point of The Pitt’s second season, with a cyber-hack forcing the hospital to temporarily bring back hospital clerk Monica, who blames her layoff on the hospital overly digitizing.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Several candidates, including Marx, pledged to free the former Mesa County clerk, who was convicted for orchestrating a plot to sneak a third party into a secure area to examine voting equipment after the 2020 election.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The hospitality union represents roughly 2,000 workers at the arena, potentially disrupting one of the biggest sporting events in the world.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
In April 2009, a unanimous council — including first-year member Todd Gloria — embraced Sanders’ plan to impose a 6% cut in pay and benefits for city workers, cutting the shortfall in half.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The cuts are required because of employee pay raises, including 23% hikes over three years that were awarded to most workers in 2023, and relatively sluggish growth in city revenue.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to just being able to identify your luggage to an airline employee, photos also provide peace of mind and evidence for insurance purposes, should anything happen to your bag and what’s inside it.—
Bailey Berg,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
