Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

functionary

/ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃəˌnɛ.ri/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.34 in modern English

Syllables
func-tio-na-ry
IPA
/ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃəˌnɛ.ri/
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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.

noun

Such a person who is petty, pedantic, short-sighted, uncaring, or counterproductive; sometimes also with implication of being amoral or corrupt.

Example Sentences

Etymology

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

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃəˌnɛ.ri/
  • British English: /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/

Inflected Forms

functionaries (plural)

Synonyms

bureaucrat official officer administrator apparatchik paper-pusher bean counter

Questions

How do you pronounce functionary?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃəˌnɛ.ri/.
What does functionary mean?
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.
Where does functionary come from?
From French fonctionnaire; by surface analysis, function + -ary.

How to pronounce functionary

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “functionary”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃəˌnɛ.ri/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “functionary”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “functionary” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.