functionary

/ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/

//ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"functionary" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“functionary” is uncommon English (frequency #63,634 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,634
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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...

Corpus desk

Index EN-functionary · functionary · English

functionary · rank #63,634 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,634
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH gaffes

Nearest frequency peer: gaffes (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “functionary”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “functionary” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for functionary
PropertyValue
Headwordfunctionary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/
Letters11
Frequency rank#63,634
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “functionary” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).functionaryfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “gaffes” (#63,635), “Freitas” (#63,631), “fractious” (#63,628). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “functionary” is #63,634. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

functionary is uncommon English at frequency #63,634 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for functionary, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French fonctionnaire; by surface analysis, function + -ary. The correct English form is functionary, spelled F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 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.
  2. 2
    Such a person who is petty, pedantic, short-sighted, uncaring, or counterproductive; sometimes also with implication of being amoral or corrupt.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how functionary appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Near-synonyms: bureaucrat; official; officer; administrator; apparatchik
  2. Consciences are for politicians, Bernard! We are humble functionaries whose duty it is to implement the commands of our democratically elected representatives.

Etymology

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

This word in other languages

funcionario(Español)fonctionnaire(Français)Funktionär(Deutsch)funcionário(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "functionary"?
"functionary" is spelled F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/.
What does "functionary" mean?
As a noun, "functionary" means: 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...
How do you pronounce "functionary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "functionary" is /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "functionary"?
From French fonctionnaire; by surface analysis, function + -ary. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "functionary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

exploitable#63,608Eurosceptic#63,603Enniskillen#63,597herringbone#63,682

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list