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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of functionary
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.
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The Editors, National Review, 16 May 2024
MacDowell as first wife Ann is given just one scene to make an impression, as is Benanti as wife No. 2, but both these talented actors come off as more functionary against Keaton than truly three dimensional.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2024
The teenage Reuss became the leader of an empire-wide socialist youth organization and was kicked out of school for attempting to recruit the son of a powerful conservative functionary.
—Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Hot guys could be found among the photographers, foreign journalists, and imposing functionaries of square jaw and evil hair.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for functionary 
The Editors, National Review, 16 May 2024
MacDowell as first wife Ann is given just one scene to make an impression, as is Benanti as wife No. 2, but both these talented actors come off as more functionary against Keaton than truly three dimensional.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2024
The teenage Reuss became the leader of an empire-wide socialist youth organization and was kicked out of school for attempting to recruit the son of a powerful conservative functionary.
—Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Hot guys could be found among the photographers, foreign journalists, and imposing functionaries of square jaw and evil hair.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
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The closures, which will force parents to scramble for options, are part of a trend of cuts and closures to early childhood programs as affordable child care remains out of reach for many families, despite promises to expand options from the mayor and governor, officials said.Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 17 Jan. 2025
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City officials say Miami Beach’s homeless population is largely transient, consisting of people who move in and out of the city and are sometimes reluctant to accept services.Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But in Washington, the techno-libertarian pivot demands that regulators’ overreach be confined to the echo chambers of an ever-dwindling group of bureaucrats—and their rules remain unwritten. Follow me on Twitter.Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
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Vivek Ramaswamy [Archival audio]: Elon Musk and I are in a position to start the mass deportations of millions of unelected federal bureaucrats out of the D.C. bureaucracy.Lauren Goode, WIRED, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The incident was reported at around 12:35 p.m. local time on Tuesday, officers confirmed in the statement.Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
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The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said Wednesday that a survey of 52 chief financial officers revealed that 67% would respond to the increase the U.K.'s national insurance (NI) payroll tax by raising prices.Robert Olsen, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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His only exceptions were clerks, postmasters and enlisted personnel in the military.Peter Kastor, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2025
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Postal service clerks, executive secretaries, and payroll staff top the list of shrinking roles, with changes driven by factors including (but not limited to) AI adoption.Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The total number of American workers in December 2024 is up only 5% from February 2020, far less than the headline 12% worker growth during Biden’s presidency.Derek Saul, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Rudy Giuliani is set to appear in a Washington, D.C., federal courtroom Friday as a federal judge considers a request from two Georgia election workers to hold the former New York City mayor in contempt for allegedly continuing to defame them in violation of a court order.Robert Legare, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Along with the influx of people came support volunteers, with many donating items or offering assistance to the Red Cross employees already stationed there.Angela Yang, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
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In an Atwater Village Chipotle, customers and employees alike sighed and picked up their phones.Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near functionary
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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