People who hold official positions in government or organizations, especially those who follow rules strictly without questioning them.
From French fonctionnaire (1793), derived from Latin functio (performance). Originally referred to anyone performing an official function, but developed a slightly negative connotation of bureaucratic rigidity.
The word carries an almost comic weight—it perfectly captures the mundane reality of the person stamping your form in triplicate, historically symbolizing the rise of professional government bureaucracies in the 19th century.
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