functionary

noun

func·​tion·​ary ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē 

plural functionaries

1

: one who serves in a certain function

2

: one holding office in a government or political party

Did you know?

For most of us, being described as a functionary wouldn't be a compliment. The word refers especially to a person of lower rank, with little or no authority, who must carry out someone else's orders. Bureaucrat is often a synonym. However, functionary can also refer to the world beyond government and offices; a character in a play, for example, could be called a functionary if it was obvious that her sole function was to keep the plot moving.

Synonyms

• officeholder
• officer
• official
• public servant

Examples of functionary in a Sentence

He was a party functionary during the political campaign.

spoke to high-ranking functionaries at the embassy in the hopes that they could help

Recent Examples on the Web

Think about your last price negotiation—with a car dealer, a potential new hire's salary demands or your least favorite procurement functionary. —Danny Ertel, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Thousands of operatives and functionaries are wounded. —Daniel Estrin, NPR, 18 Sep. 2024

Geoffrey Mason was barely 30, a control-room functionary working a down day at the 1972 Munich Olympics, when history called on a push-button phone. —Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024

And the private enterprises that committed vast sums to mollifying the activist class by parking DEI functionaries in sinecures within their human-resources departments began paring back their beneficence. —The Editors, National Review, 16 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

functionary

noun

func·​tion·​ary ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē 

plural functionaries

: a person who works for a government or political party