Dictionary

functional en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl/
• /ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃnəl/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰewg-der. Proto-Italic *fungōr Latin fungor Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin fūnctiō Old French fonction Middle French functionbor. English function Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English functional From function + -al.

Meanings

1. In good working order.
   • While we assume that phonological subsyllabic units are functional prior to reading skill, we have not ruled out a possible interaction with the writing system. 2002, Ludo Verhoeven, Carsten Elbro, Pieter Reitsma, editors, Precursors of Functional Literacy:
2. Useful; serving a purpose, fulfilling a function.
   • That sculpture is not merely artistic, but also functional: it can be used as a hatrack.
   • The two are often one and the same, says Walt Thompson, professor of kinesiology at Georgia State University and lead author of the ACSM survey – although functional fitness can apply to the younger generation as well. 2013 July 3, Jacque Wilson, “‘Functional fitness’ keeps seniors moving”, in CNN:
3. Only for functional purposes, notably in architecture.
   • A functional construction element generally must meet higher technical but lower aesthetical requirements.
4. Of or relating to one's role or office; official.
   • functional responsibilities
5. Characterizing functioning in environment, being symptoms that do not presuppose alteration of organic structure.
   • In our study of participants aged 18–39, increasing age was associated with improved functioning in laundry task and overall social functioning, encompassing prosocial activities, recreation, independence–competence, and employment. […] However, several longitudinal and cross-sectional studies indicate that these improvements tend to plateau by the late twenties, and may decline as individuals transition into middle adulthood (Clarke et al., 2021; Smith et al., 2012; Tomaszewski et al., 2025). These patterns suggest that while functional gains may be observed through early adulthood, they may not be maintained beyond the early thirties. Therefore, longitudinal studies extending into middle and late adulthood are critically needed to clarify how trajectories of activities of daily living and social functioning evolve throughout the lifespan. 2025 August 13, Müjdat Erarkadaş, Kübra Özmeral Erarkadaş, Şahika Gülen Şişmanlar, “Autism Spectrum Disorder Beyond Childhood: A Comprehensive Assessment of Activities of Daily Living and Social Functioning in Turkish Adults”, in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, →DOI:
   • The clinical differentiation between functional and organic disease is at times difficult to establish, because, presumptively, in the beginning, at least, all organic disease is preceded by a physiologic perversion, that is, functional alteration, which may or may not be apparent with our present diagnostic limitations. […] Though benign rhythmic disturbances, such as premature contractions or paroxysmal tachycardia, do occur, it is notoriously difficult and still the subject of argument whether these may be called functionally benign or whether they may prove to have organic significance. […] The lack of opportunity for the medical student to observe the functional states in the medical school clinics and hospital practice, because of lack of space, or interest in their care in intramural teaching, is, I believe, a most forceful argument for a period of extramural practice under intelligent tutelage. 1928 December 15, Frank J. Hirschboeck, “Treatment of Functional Heart Disease”, in The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 91, number 24, →DOI, page 1852:
6. Optimized for all-around physiological benefit.
   • functional fitness
   • functional coffee
7. Of or relating to a function or functions.
8. Having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects.

Forms

Antonyms

imperative · out of order · dysfunctional · organic (antonym(s) of) · unfunctional · non-functional · nonfunctional

Deriveds

oligofunctional · superfunctional · polyfunctional · eigenfunctional · functional music · amphifunctional · functional equivalence · interfunctional · functional necrophilia · antifunctional · monofunctional · functionalism · bifunctional · functionalise · functionalist · heptafunctional · neofunctional · tetrafunctional · functional medicine · multifunctional · normofunctional · functional drink · technofunctional · fyborg · eufunctional · prefunctional · sociofunctional · functional training · positive linear functional · functionalistic · functionalize · functional beverage · functional water · pentafunctional · heterofunctional · cofunctional · afunctional · trifunctional · anatomofunctional · functionality · functional linguistics · equifunctional · plurifunctional · functional graph · unifunctional · functionalization · neurofunctional · functional constituency · fur trader (truth-functional logic fur) · biofunctional · malfunctional · ecofunctional · immunofunctional · functionally · teleofunctional · structural-functional · functional load · biofunctionalization

Hypernyms

preserved

Hyponyms

semifunctional · myofunctional · subfunctional · morphofunctional · crossfunctional · monofunctional · hyperfunctional · truth-functional · isofunctional · metafunctional · organofunctional · ultrafunctional · difunctional · hypofunctional · algofunctional · parafunctional

Relateds

functional disorder · functional application · functional group · functional dependency · functional design · functional failure · function · functional bombing · trivial functional dependency · functional error recovery · functional requirement · functional MR imaging · functional residual capacity · functional work · functional switching circuit · functional anatomy · functional interleaving · functional programming · functional genomics · functional magnetic resonance imaging · functional root · functional decomposition · functional food · functional unit · functional reserve · functional diagram · functionary · non-functional requirement · functional specifications · functional electrical stimulation · functional psychology · functional constraint

Synonyms

pure · running like a top · functional · in working order · working · functioning · operational · up · utilitarian

Translations (98)

da funktionel (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · ro funcțional (in good working order) · kk функционалды (in good working order) · ga feidhmiúil (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · da funktionel (useful, serving a purpose) · da funktionel (in good working order) · kk қызметтік (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · ga praiticiúil (useful, serving a purpose) · sv funktionell (useful, serving a purpose) · de Funktions- (in good working order) · kk функциялық (in good working order) · de funktional (useful, serving a purpose) · fi toimiva (in good working order) · bg функционален (of or relating to a function or functions) · nn funksjonell (in good working order) · de funktionell (in der Medizin) (only for functional purposes, notably in architecture) · bg функционален (only for functional purposes, notably in architecture) · nl functionerend (in good working order) · de Gebrauchs- (useful, serving a purpose) · kk атқарымдық (in good working order) · el συναρτησιακός (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · ru функциона́льный (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · ja 便利 (useful, serving a purpose) · bg функционален (useful, serving a purpose) · de operativ (in good working order) · kk функциялық (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · de zweckmäßig (useful, serving a purpose) · kk функционалдық (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · pl działający (in good working order) · cs funkční (in good working order) · sv fungerande (in good working order) · bg действащ (in good working order) · ru рабо́чий (in good working order) · it funzionante (in good working order) · kk атқарымдық (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · ru функциони́рующий (in good working order) · el λειτουργικός (useful, serving a purpose) · pt funcional (in good working order) · az işlək (in good working order) · de funktionell (useful, serving a purpose) · pl aktywny (in good working order) · kk қызметтік (in good working order) · ga feidhmiúil (useful, serving a purpose) · bg функционален (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · es funcional (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · pl sprawny (in good working order) · de Funktions- (of or relating to a function or functions) · fr fonctionnel (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · nl werkend (in good working order) · ca funcional (in good working order) · da funktionsdygtig (in good working order) · de funktions- (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · da funktionel (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · it funzionante (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · enm official (useful, serving a purpose) · fr fonctionnel (in good working order) · nn funksjonell (useful, serving a purpose) · fi funktionaalinen (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · nb funksjonell (useful, serving a purpose) · ru де́йствующий (in good working order) · ru рабо́тающий (in good working order) · el λειτουργικός (in good working order) · de funktional (only for functional purposes, notably in architecture) · kk функционалды (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · fr fonctionnel (useful, serving a purpose) · ja 機能の (in good working order) · bg функциониращ (in good working order) · it funzionale (useful, serving a purpose) · nl functioneel (useful, serving a purpose) · pt funcional (useful, serving a purpose) · es operativo (in good working order) · tr fonksiyonel (useful, serving a purpose) · fi käytännöllinen (useful, serving a purpose) · ja 機能的な (useful, serving a purpose) · de funktional (in good working order) · de Gebrauchs- (in good working order) · de funktionell (in good working order) · nl operationeel (in good working order) · de funktional (of or relating to a function or functions) · ja 機能する (in good working order) · nb funksjonell (in good working order) · cs funkcionální (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · ota دركار (in good working order) · ru функциона́льный (useful, serving a purpose) · kk функционалдық (in good working order) · cmn 功能的 (in good working order) · bg функционален (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · la fūnctiōnālis (in good working order) · de funktional (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · km ដើរបាន (in good working order) · es útil (useful, serving a purpose) · it funzionale (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · de Funktions- (useful, serving a purpose) · pl funkcyjny (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · de funktionell (having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects) · nl doelmatig (useful, serving a purpose) · pt funcional (such that its symptoms cannot be referred to change of structure) · tr işlevsel (useful, serving a purpose)

functional en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl/
• /ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃnəl/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰewg-der. Proto-Italic *fungōr Latin fungor Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin fūnctiō Old French fonction Middle French functionbor. English function Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English functional From function + -al.

Meanings

1. A function that takes a function as its argument; more precisely, a function whose argument varies in a space of (real- or complex-valued) functions and whose value belongs to a monodimensional space.
   • An example of a functional is the definite integration of integrable real functions in a real interval.
2. (qualifier:functional analysis) A scalar-valued linear function on a vector space.
3. An object encapsulating a function pointer (or equivalent).

Forms

Deriveds

functional analysis · Minkowski functional · functional analysis diagram · linear functional

Translations (16)

bg функционал (an object encapsulating a function pointer) · kk функционал (a function that takes a function as its argument) · it funzionale (a function that takes a function as its argument) · ru функциона́л (a function that takes a function as its argument) · cmn 泛函 (a function that takes a function as its argument) · bg функционал (a function that takes a function as its argument) · hu funkcionál (a function that takes a function as its argument) · de Funktional (a function that takes a function as its argument) · ja 汎関数 (a function that takes a function as its argument) · pl funkcjonał (a function that takes a function as its argument) · nl functionaal (a function that takes a function as its argument) · tr işlevsi (a function that takes a function as its argument) · yue 泛函 (a function that takes a function as its argument) · sv funktional (a function that takes a function as its argument) · ja 関数オブジェクト (an object encapsulating a function pointer) · fi funktionaali (a function that takes a function as its argument)