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Definitions

functionary

[fuhngk-shuh-ner-ee] / ˈfʌŋk ʃəˌnɛr i /
NOUN
agent
Synonyms
STRONGEST
assistant broker commissioner deputy handler lawyer minister officer operative operator promoter representative worker
STRONG
abettor actor advocate ambassador assignee attorney delegate doer emissary envoy executor factor factotum go-between intermediary mover negotiator principal proctor proxy salesperson servant steward substitute surrogate
WEAK
mediary middleperson ten percenter
NOUN
bureaucrat
Synonyms
STRONGEST
administrator civil servant politician public servant
WEAK
desk-jockey officeholder pencil-pusher
NOUN
officer
Synonyms
STRONGEST
agent chief civil servant deputy director executive leader manager official representative
STRONG
President appointee bureaucrat dignitary head magistrate officeholder
WEAK
organization administrator public servant
Antonyms
STRONGEST
employee
NOUN
official
Synonyms
STRONGEST
administrator agent bureaucrat civil servant commissioner director executive leader manager minister officer representative secretary
STRONG
CEO President boss brains brass chancellor comptroller dignitary exec governor higher-up incumbent magistrate marshal mayor officeholder panjandrum premier top treasurer
WEAK
big shot front office head person top brass top dog
Antonyms
STRONGEST
employee

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of my professors, Harry Wexler, had been a young functionary under the midcentury mayor-for-life Dick Lee.

From Slate • Sep. 21, 2025

Adolf Ziegler, the Nazi functionary charged with overseeing the exhibition, perceived no ambiguity.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2025

The dispatch of the relatively low-level functionary sends two signals, Mr. Atkinson believes.

From Washington Times • Aug. 2, 2023

The party, not the government, dictates policy and the foreign minister is essentially a functionary.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2023

Whenever he referred to him in his speeches he was careful to strip him of any human attributes and present him as an abstract functionary in some larger scheme.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Vocabulary lists containing functionary

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The Left Hand of Darkness

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Around the World in Eighty Days

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!