functionary

[ fuhngk-shuh-ner-ee ]

noun

, plural func·tion·ar·ies.

1. a person who functions in a specified capacity, especially in government service; an official:

   civil servants, bureaucrats, and other functionaries.

functionary

/ ˈfʌŋkʃənərɪ /

noun

1. a person acting in an official capacity, as for a government; an official

adjective

1. a less common word for functional official

Word History and Origins

Origin of functionary¹

1785–95; function + -ary, modeled on French fonctionnaire

Example Sentences

That it’s a mythical allegation hasn’t stopped right-wingers and GOP functionaries from hand-wringing over the economic implications of any such change, and over the purportedly horrible impact on average Americans.

From Los Angeles Times

Traditionally, the state superintendent has acted as more of a functionary, allocating funding and serving as a repository for student data.

From Seattle Times

His son calls him “a functionary for a dysfunctional government.”

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From New York Times

The next time you hear a politician, a Pentagon bureaucrat, or a corporate functionary tell you about the economic wonders of massive military budgets, don’t buy the hype.

From Salon

Related Words

• administrator
• agent
• bureaucrat
• civil servant
• commissioner
• director
• executive
• leader
• manager
• minister
• officer
• representative
• secretary