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
-
States that don't go along with the executive order are at risk of losing federal funding, a White House official told CBS News earlier this week.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Catawba County’s Fire Marshal requested a criminal investigation into the cause, which led to the SBI being involved, officials said.—
Mark Price
April 2,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the Philippines, government offices are now open just four days a week and bureaucrats must limit the use of air conditioning to nothing cooler than 75°F (24°C).—
Paul Wiseman,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The barrier was a system so centralized, bureaucrats and procedural that even a straightforward literacy effort became tangled in red tape.—
Daniel L Gordon,
Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Back in the day, only high ranking officers could ascend the staircase.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Two other people were present with him, but officers have not identified them and did not say they were detained.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The store clerk told her that Teresa may have gone with Duckett, and the mother began searching the area.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In Miami-Dade County, for example, the penalty is $257, according to the county clerk’s office.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chats with friends and co-workers alike can do a lot to improve the flow of your schedule.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The two started out at the YMCA as community health workers and went back at least a decade.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors accused Peters of stealing a Mesa County employee's security badge to help a man gain access to the county's voter systems to prove false conspiracies about the validity of the 2020 election results.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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However, starting in January 2026, employee paycheck withholdings should reflect the tips and overtime deductions, which means workers will see the benefit each pay period rather than via a lump sum next tax season.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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