1
as in officials
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 bureaucrats
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 functionaries
More than funding, though, is needed transparency by IDNR functionaries with marina boaters and Winthrop Harbor officials.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Proposal 5 was actually a bit of skilled electoral craft on the part of the city’s map functionaries.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
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
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Their prestige suffers because it is conflated in the public’s mind with long lines at the DMV, fastidious building inspectors, parking tickets—the stuff of local functionaries.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Proposal 5 was actually a bit of skilled electoral craft on the part of the city’s map functionaries.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionaries
Noun
-
Former Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because the Biden administration did not send any diplomatic officials as a boycott over human rights concerns.—
MICHELLE L. PRICE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
As a politicized national fight over waste, fraud and abuse led by Republicans have targeted California and its Democratic leadership, Bonta and other state officials have moved swiftly to combat the claims.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When Vance attended the annual Munich Security Conference as a first-term senator, in 2024, he got fed up with the European Union bureaucrats and took off early to reconnect with Dreher, who had come from Budapest, over beer and sausages.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
That’s assuming state bureaucrats can even figure out the billionaires’ worth.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If your complaint is accepted by the authority, an investigator will determine whether any laws, policies or procedures were broken by officers.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Metropolitan Police officers searched Mandelson's London home and another property linked to him on Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
All other government employees are temporarily furloughed.—
Riley Beggin,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
To copy their methods and turn them back into employees.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Local governments levy taxes, assessors value property, multiple appeals bodies issue rulings, clerks calculate rates, treasurers prepare bills and the Illinois Department of Revenue oversees uniformity.—
Joe Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The order described allegations that a judge subjected clerks to harassment, verbal abuse and erratic behavior during the COVID pandemic.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Remains found amid search in Mexico MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities on Friday announced the discovery of bodies and remains in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in an area of an ongoing search for 10 missing workers from a Canadian gold and silver mine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The incident, which released flammable hydrocarbons, injured four workers and forced 14 schools into lockdown.—
Jasmine Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, mandarins, pomelos, and kumquats are among the most nutrient-dense citrus fruits.—
Zia Sherrell,
Health,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Notes of ripe, fresh mangoes, fragrant mandarins, and blood oranges, and undertones of lemon leaf spark energy and invigoration.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionaries. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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