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Functionary: meaning, definitions and examples

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functionary

 

[ ˈfʌŋkʃəˌnɛri ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

government official

A functionary is a person who has a position in a large organization, especially a government, and whose job involves dealing with official documents.

Synonyms

administrator, bureaucrat, official.

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Word Description / Examples
functionary

Used to describe someone who performs official duties in a specific role, often in a governmental or organizational capacity, typically emphasizing routine or clerical work.

  • As a low-level functionary, his job mainly involved processing paperwork
official

Describes someone holding a formal position of authority within an organization or government, particularly focusing on responsibility and decision-making.

  • The city official announced new policies to improve public transportation
bureaucrat

Often carries a negative connotation, describing a government or organizational official perceived as concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people's needs.

  • Despite his good intentions, he was often labeled a bureaucrat due to his strict adherence to rules and regulations
administrator

Refers to a person responsible for running a business, organization, or institution, particularly focusing on management and organization of operations.

  • She serves as the school administrator, handling all operational aspects of the institution

Examples of usage

  • He was a faceless functionary in the Ministry of Information.
  • The functionaries at the embassy processed the visa applications efficiently.
  • She worked her way up from a lowly functionary to a high-ranking official.

Translations

Translations of the word "functionary" in other languages:

🇵🇹 funcionário

🇮🇳 कर्मचारी

🇩🇪 Beamter

🇮🇩 pegawai

🇺🇦 посадовець

🇵🇱 urzędnik

🇯🇵 役人 (やくにん)

🇫🇷 fonctionnaire

🇪🇸 funcionario

🇹🇷 memur

🇰🇷 공무원 (gongmuwon)

🇸🇦 موظف

🇨🇿 úředník

🇸🇰 úradník

🇨🇳 官员 (guānyuán)

🇸🇮 uradnik

🇮🇸 embættismaður

🇰🇿 қызметкер

🇬🇪 თანამდებობის პირი

🇦🇿 vəzifəli şəxs

🇲🇽 funcionario

Etymology

The word 'functionary' originated in the late 18th century from the Latin word 'functionarius', meaning 'pertaining to performance of duties'. It was first used in English to describe a person performing official or administrative duties within an organization. Over time, the term has come to be associated particularly with government officials and bureaucrats.

See also: dysfunction, dysfunctional, functional, functionality, functionally, functionaries, functioning, functions, malfunction, malfunctions, misfunction, multifunctional, multifunctionality, nonfunctional, perfunctory.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #22,147, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.