functionary

noun

func·​tion·​ary ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce functionary (audio)
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.

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 The response by a functionary was widely thought of as absurdly anachronistic: A scene in which hooligans stone to death a baby in a pram could not be publicly staged. Benedict Nightingale, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 That would be desirable if the goal of this action is to restore regional stability by reimposing caution on Iran and its functionaries. The Editors, National Review, 5 Feb. 2024 In some universities, for example, every classroom has an informant who provides a biweekly or monthly report to a handler who is usually a party functionary. Minxin Pei, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2024 Thomas grieves but must interact with the businesslike functionaries of death. Jeffrey Arlo Brown, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2024 The mostly Republican board replaced him with Lee Roberts, a Republican functionary who had no experience running a major university. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024 After the consumer safety and environmental movements in the 1960s, a backlash emerged from businesses, where critics argued that government functionaries who were not accountable to voters were issuing regulations whose costs outweighed their benefits. Charlie Savage, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2024 And make no mistake: There is shame here, in the form of police negligence that remains largely unpunished, beyond the disciplining of some low-level functionaries. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2023 That was the trajectory followed by the left-wing outlet’s discovery that a State Department functionary had resigned in protest over Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself. Noah Rothman, National Review, 19 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'functionary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of functionary was circa 1785

Dictionary Entries Near functionary

Cite this Entry

“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/functionary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

functionary

noun
func·​tion·​ary ˈfəŋ(k)-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce functionary (audio)
plural functionaries
: a person who works for a government or political party

More from Merriam-Webster on functionary

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