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
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
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Considerable cuts also are anticipated to the City of Long Beach, UCLA and nine community health providers who provide HIV prevention services, including $383,000 for the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s community HIV prevention programs, local officials said.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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Federal officials haven’t indicated when efforts to swear in or interview applicants from these countries will resume.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That’s assuming state bureaucrats can even figure out the billionaires’ worth.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Chief among the latter is his region’s unnamed UNO (Upazila Nirbahi Officer), a wily mid-level bureaucrat who presents herself as Jahir’s direct line to the big guns, and persistently pulls rank on him with a disarming megawatt smile.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The two officers may be fired and potentially face criminal prosecution, Lyons said.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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An immigration officer chased Aljorna who, according to the government, violently resisted arrest.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Rather than placing orders with a counter clerk, Luckin customers select and pay for drinks directly through an app.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
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Less-skilled workers, such as truck drivers and postal clerks, have actually lost ground in terms of income.—
Mark Robert Rank,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At least three people died and nearly two dozen others were injured after a building used as temporary lodgings for workers caught fire early Friday in a suburb of Hungary's capital, authorities said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The warrant for Silva-Parucho, a construction worker with a pending asylum application and valid employment authorization, was therefore invalid, the judge ruled.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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However, regulatory pressure on Coupang intensified further after the e-commerce giant suffered a data breach perpetrated by a former Chinese employee in November.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
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However, as our employee survey reminds us every year, people are here to serve the mission, and over the last five years our founders and staff have never wavered in their commitment to helping build a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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