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
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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
-
The money to transform the website came from capital improvement projects, but officials could not answer questions about specific bonds or other funding sources used for the project.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The official was noncommittal about whether the administration would continue to negotiate over arrests without judicial warrants.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These employees seemed to long for the steady hand of a veteran bureaucrat.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
There are few things that California politicians and bureaucrats will not tax, subsidize, mandate, regulate and politicize, particularly if such a thing can be connected to environmental policy.—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Detention is the middle step that must run smoothly in order for the growing number of ICE officers to continue making arrests.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Mar. 2026
-
There have been outbreaks of tuberculosis and measles at the site, and ICE officers have used the dangerously subpar conditions to pressure detainees to sign papers authorizing their deportation.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Peters, a former county clerk and election denialist, was convicted on multiple charges for allowing unauthorized access to voting machines following the 2020 presidential election.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Most went to school administrators and classified school staff, such as clerks, administrative assistants and paraeducators.—
EdSource,
Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Videos and photos from the scene showed thick gray smoke billowing from the complex and some workers jumping from a building.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The need for the factory, the Navy explains, is a major labor shortage for key skills like welding, precision machining workers, and other specialist engineers.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Even higher-profile employees-turned-critics were ex-Defense Secretary James Mattis and former White House chief of staff John Kelly.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
State employees were granted a day off and schools were required to teach students about his legacy and his involvement in the labor movement in California.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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