Synonyms for functionary
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Officer — A person employed as an official in a bureaucracy (usually corporate or governmental) who holds limited…
2. Paper-pusher — such a person who is petty, pedantic, short-sighted, uncaring, or counterproductive; sometimes also with…
paper-pusher informal, bean counter
Other
Definitions
- n. 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.
Near-synonyms: bureaucrat; official; officer; administrator; apparatchik
- n. 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
- Plural
- functionaries → officers, officials, apparatchiks, bureaucrats…
Example sentences
- official The soldier received official permission to leave.
- officer The police officer asked Tom to empty his pockets.
- bureaucrat Tom isn't your typical bureaucrat.
- apparatchik Although he denied the charges, the apparatchik was put on trial.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| functionary | steady | |
| official | falling | |
| officer | falling | |
| bureaucrat | steady | |
| apparatchik | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 7 letters
- officer3
- 8 letters
- official3
- 10 letters
- bureaucrat3
- 11 letters
- apparatchik4
- 12 letters
- functionaire
- 13 letters
- administrator5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (officer3 = 3 syllables).