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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of functionary
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
Unlike the party functionaries picked previously, all three grew up in the labor movement.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
As the German journalist Ronen Steinke argues in his own first-rate biography, Bauer’s greatest achievement was a sprawling trial of some 20 German officers and functionaries at Auschwitz, held in a Frankfurt courtroom in the mid-60s.
—Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The play drew on the verbatim testimony of SS officers, Nazi functionaries and camp survivors, to reconstruct the genocidal horror in harrowing, undeniable detail.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for functionary
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
Unlike the party functionaries picked previously, all three grew up in the labor movement.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
As the German journalist Ronen Steinke argues in his own first-rate biography, Bauer’s greatest achievement was a sprawling trial of some 20 German officers and functionaries at Auschwitz, held in a Frankfurt courtroom in the mid-60s.
—Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The play drew on the verbatim testimony of SS officers, Nazi functionaries and camp survivors, to reconstruct the genocidal horror in harrowing, undeniable detail.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for functionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for functionary
Noun
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Nonprofits serve our communities directly, often in close partnership with law enforcement and other city officials.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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Russian forces launched a barrage of 367 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities over the weekend, including the capital Kyiv, in the largest aerial attack of the war so far, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, officials said.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
Noun
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All the more reason why a consortium of the world’s bureaucrats are determined to stop Zsa-zsa by artificially inflating the price of bashable rivets.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
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Unwaveringly prepared, collegial, sharp and measured, Prevost impressed as an uber bureaucrat.—
Mitra Taj,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Related Articles Nielsen, Verisk and Accenture alum Laurie Lovett is Sol de Janeiro’s new chief people and impact officer.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
27 May 2025
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Ukrainian fighter jets have struck a base belonging to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Belgorod region, killing intelligence officers, according to a report.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
Noun
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How the line went away The county line made headlines last year when now-Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) filed a lawsuit against 19 county clerks over the county line system during the 2024 Senate primary.—
Annabella Rosciglione,
The Washington Examiner,
24 May 2025
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Vanessa Hargrove, 39, and Crystal Jenkins, 31, were mail processing clerks at USPS distribution centers in Michigan and Ohio, respectively, federal officials said.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Kansas City Star,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, DC, were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in late May, and an arsonist set the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion on fire on the first night of Passover because of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s views on the war in Gaza, according to search warrants.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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Food worker with discharge from eyes, nose and/or throat.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Last month, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order sought by federal employee unions, local governments and outside organizations.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
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In November, a 12-person jury unanimously found Royal Bengal’s former president guilty of conspiring with other employees, wire fraud and money laundering.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Functionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/functionary. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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