functionary
|func-tion-ar-y|
/ˈfʌŋkʃənəri/
official who performs duties
Etymology
'functionary' originates from Latin, specifically the Late Latin word 'functionarius', where 'functio' meant 'performance' or 'execution' (from the verb 'fungi', 'to perform') and the suffix '-arius' indicated 'pertaining to' or 'connected with'.
'functionarius' passed into later European usage (cf. French 'fonctionnaire') and was adopted into English as 'functionary' via formation from the noun 'function' plus the adjectival/nominal suffix '-ary' during the 17th–18th centuries, eventually taking the modern English form 'functionary'.
Initially it meant 'one who performs a function' (a person carrying out a role or duty); over time it acquired the more specific sense of an official or bureaucrat and sometimes a slightly derogatory sense of someone who performs duties mechanically.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an official who performs a particular duty or function, especially in an organization or government; a bureaucrat or officeholder.
The government relied on experienced functionaries to implement the new policy.
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Noun 2
a person who carries out administrative tasks in a routine or mechanical way; often used with a slightly derogatory sense of someone who follows rules or procedures without initiative.
He was dismissed by the minister as a mere functionary who couldn't innovate.
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Last updated: 2025/12/18 18:43