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
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
Surrounded by allies, rivals, and functionaries with their own agendas, Roh navigates a dense network of relationships in his bid to claim the top seat for himself.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for functionary
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
Surrounded by allies, rivals, and functionaries with their own agendas, Roh navigates a dense network of relationships in his bid to claim the top seat for himself.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
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Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a Board of Trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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An internal affairs investigation has been launched after San Diego police clashed with several people in the Gaslamp Quarter early Sunday, deploying Tasers and pepper spray as violent fights broke out amid a large crowd, police officials said.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Congress should focus on lowering health care costs and expanding access in ways that help patients first, not big insurance companies or bureaucrats.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
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The entertainment industry doesn’t need California bureaucrats deciding which projects deserve subsidies, which studios are strategically important, or which business models should survive.—
Will Swaim,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Upon arrival, officers located a person with a single gunshot wound.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
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One of them, former Imperial officer the Client (Werner Herzog), hires Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) to retrieve an asset.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal lawsuit against the now-former clerk of court whose interactions with the jury in his 2023 murder trial prompted the South Carolina Supreme Court last week to overturn his double murder convictions.—
Devon M. Sayers,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
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The lawsuit alleges the clerk denied him his right to a fair trial.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Noun
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An afternoon stroll with Oscar (Diego Calva), who begins as Arlo’s social worker and becomes Peter’s love interest, is invitingly honey-colored in the sunlight, while a druggy nightclub hookup devolves into a dreamy blur of body parts.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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Others are alive with the sound of hammers and saws, as workers frame new construction.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
15 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
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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 19 May. 2026.
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