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
Relevance
2
as in bureaucrat
a worker in a government agency
the faceless functionaries at the Internal Revenue Service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of functionary
Hezbollah handed these pagers out among its militant operatives as well as its civilian functionaries, the group told NPR.
—
Daniel Estrin, NPR, 18 Sep. 2024
Imagine a judiciary more fully stocked with people loyal to Trump’s politics, working alongside a government bureaucracy rebuilt to accommodate more political functionaries.
—Philip Bump, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
One other thing: The functionary pushing to give industry more freedom to pollute was Reagan’s Environmental Protection Agency administrator, the late Anne Gorsuch.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024
Government functionaries, including the lawyers sitting on the court, seem to have little idea how businesses look at things.
—John Seiler, Orange County Register, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for functionary 
Daniel Estrin, NPR, 18 Sep. 2024
Imagine a judiciary more fully stocked with people loyal to Trump’s politics, working alongside a government bureaucracy rebuilt to accommodate more political functionaries.
—Philip Bump, Washington Post, 15 July 2024
One other thing: The functionary pushing to give industry more freedom to pollute was Reagan’s Environmental Protection Agency administrator, the late Anne Gorsuch.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024
Government functionaries, including the lawyers sitting on the court, seem to have little idea how businesses look at things.
—John Seiler, Orange County Register, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
-
Chinese officials fear that Russia’s influence over the insular dictatorship is growing at China’s expense.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
-
All three counties that make up Colorado’s 8th Congressional District had concluded ballot counting by late Saturday night, election officials said.Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
The idea that France or the United Kingdom would allow another state—let alone some unelected bureaucrat in the European Union—to dictate their nuclear postures is fanciful.Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
-
Vought said that independent agencies and unelected bureaucrats and experts wield far too much power while the traditional legislative process is a sham.Molly Redden, ProPublica, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Early last month, the Antioch City Council allocated up to $500,000 for its gun violence reduction initiative to fund long-term assistance from outside law enforcement agencies, whose officers would earn $200 an hour.Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
-
Traps have also been set up and officers are using thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to recapture the animals, police said.Austin Mullen, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Take proof of residency — a driver's license, utility bill, bank statement or paycheck are acceptable — to your local clerk's office by 8pm.Joe Guillen, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
-
In late October, county clerks had already received 226,646 ballots across the four counties.Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Sometime later, a passing pipeline company worker pulled the vehicle from the ditch.Ryan J. Foley, Twin Cities, 16 Nov. 2024
-
The company issued a follow-up notification at 10:41 a.m. that workers responded to a vapor release while performing maintenance on equipment.Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Cruise’s cooperation included remedial measures such as ensuring that employees identified as responsible for the falsified report are no longer employed by the firm.Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
-
The company has two full-time employees and is supported by a Board of Advisors from various sectors to guide its business strategy.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near functionary
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share