Added 9 October 2026
functionary
/ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/ noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about functionary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- 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.
- Such a person who is petty, pedantic, short-sighted, uncaring, or counterproductive; sometimes also with implication of being amoral or corrupt.
Origin
From French fonctionnaire; by surface analysis, function + -ary.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)