functionary

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an official, especially one in a government or large organization, who performs prescribed duties

   A minor functionary stamped the form and directed us to another office.

2. 2
   noun

   often disapproving: an official with little authority or independent judgment

   The novel portrays him as a faceless functionary who never questions an order.

Modelled on French fonctionnaire, 'official,' and analysable in English as function + -ary. Function comes through French from Latin functio, 'performance or execution,' from fungi, 'to perform.' The word often carries the implication that the officeholder merely performs an assigned function.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images