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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Upon arrival, officers located a person with a single gunshot wound.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
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
-
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
-
The lawsuit alleges the clerk denied him his right to a fair trial.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
18 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
-
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 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
