Dictionary

functionary en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃəˌnɛ.ri/ (General-American)
• (UK) audio
• /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From French fonctionnaire; by surface analysis, function + -ary.

Meanings

1. A person employed as an official in a bureaucracy (usually corporate or governmental) who holds limited authority and primarily serves to carry out a simple function for which discretion is minimal or not required.
   • Consciences are for politicians, Bernard! We are humble functionaries whose duty it is to implement the commands of our democratically elected representatives. 1987 December 10, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “Official Secrets (Yes, Prime Minister)”, in Yes, Prime Minister, season 2, episode 2, spoken by Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne):
   • Near-synonyms: bureaucrat; official; officer; administrator; apparatchik
2. Such a person who is petty, pedantic, short-sighted, uncaring, or counterproductive; sometimes also with implication of being amoral or corrupt.
   • Near-synonyms: bureaucrat, apparatchik; paper-pusher; bean counter

Forms

Synonyms

apparatchik · administrator · apparatchik · bureaucrat · bureaucrat · official · paper-pusher · bean counter · officer

Translations (41)

ro funcționară (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · pt funcionária (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · de Funktionärin (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · nl functionaris (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · cmn 公務員 /公务员 (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ja 公務員 (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · fi virkailija (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ko 공무원 (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · pl funkcjonariuszka (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · de Funktionär (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ru функционе́р (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · pt funcionário (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · uk функціоне́рка (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · id fungsionaris (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · bg длъ́жностно лице́ (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ru официа́льное лицо́ (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · es funcionario (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · it funzionario (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ca funcionària (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · hu közhivatalnok (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · uk функціоне́р (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · sv statstjänsteman (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ja 役人 (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · pl funkcjonariusz (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ru должностно́е лицо́ (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · kk атқарымпаз (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ca funcionari (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · el λειτουργός (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · fr fonctionnaire (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · az məmur (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · sv ämbetsman (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · es funcionaria (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ro funcționar (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · hu tisztviselő (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · cmn 官員 /官员 (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · mk функционе́р (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ru чино́вник (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · mk слу́жбеник (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · ru чино́вница (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · bg функционе́р (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy) · hu funkcionárius (a person employed as an official in a bureaucracy)