functionary
nounUK /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃn̩.(ə)ri/ · US /ˈfʌŋ(k).ʃəˌnɛ.ri/
Etymology From French fonctionnaire; by surface analysis, function + -ary.
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
- Consciences are for politicians, Bernard! We are humble functionaries whose duty it is to implement the commands of our democratically elected representatives.1987 December 10, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “Official Secrets (Yes, Prime Minister)”, in Yes, Prime Minister, season 2, episode 2, spoken by Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne):
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