Word Study
functional
CIDE DICTIONARY
functional, a.
- Pertaining to, or connected with, a function or duty; official. [1913 Webster]
- Pertaining to the function of an organ or part, or to the functions in general; involving or affecting function rather than physiology; as, functional deafness; a functional disease. See
functional disease , below. [1913 Webster] - Designed for or capable of a particular function or use; as, a style of writing in which every word is functional; functional architecture. [WordNet 1.6]
- Fit or ready for use or service; useable; in working order; as, the toaster was still functional even after being dropped; the lawnmower is a bit rusty but still functional. Antonym of
out of order andnonfunctional . [WordNet 1.6] - Designed to emphasize practical utility rather than artistic or aesthetic purposes; as, functional education selects knowledge that is concrete and usable rather than abstract and theoretical; functional architecture; an amateurish device, crude but functional. [WordNet 1.6]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
functional, adj.
1 of or serving a function.
2 (esp. of buildings) designed or intended to be practical rather than attractive; utilitarian.
3 Physiol. a (esp. of disease) of or affecting only the functions of an organ etc., not structural or organic. b (of mental disorder) having no discernible organic cause. c (of an organ) having a function, not functionless or rudimentary.
4 Math. of a function.
1 of or serving a function.
2 (esp. of buildings) designed or intended to be practical rather than attractive; utilitarian.
3 Physiol. a (esp. of disease) of or affecting only the functions of an organ etc., not structural or organic. b (of mental disorder) having no discernible organic cause. c (of an organ) having a function, not functionless or rudimentary.
4 Math. of a function.
Idiom
functional group Chem. a group of atoms that determine the reactions of a compound containing the group.
Derivative
functionality n. functionally adv.
THESAURUS
functional
acting, active, adjectival, advantageous, adverbial, agential, agentival, agentive, appropriate, at work, attributive, banausic, behavioral, beneficial, commodious, conjunctive, copulative, correct, effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient, employable, essential, expedient, fitting, formal, functioning, glossematic, go, going, going on, good for, grammatic, handy, helpful, important, in exercise, in force, in hand, in operation, in play, in practice, in process, in the works, inaction, industrial, intransitive, linking, managerial, manipulational, neuropsychiatric, nominal, of general utility, of help, of service, of use, official, on foot, on the fire, ongoing, operating, operational, operative, participial, performing, postpositional, practicable, practical, practicing, pragmatical, prepositional, pro, professional, pronominal, proper, psychiatric, psychobiological, psychodynamic, psychogenic, psychological, psychoneurological, psychopathic, psychopathological, psychophysical, psychophysiological, psychosexual, psychosocial, psychosomatic, psychotic, running, serviceable, serving, structural, substantive, syntactic, tagmemic, technical, transitive, useful, utilitarian, verbal, vocational, workingROGET THESAURUS
functional
Business
VB pass one's time in, employ one's time in, spend one's time in, employ oneself in, employ oneself upon, occupy oneself with, concern oneself with, make it one's business, undertake, enter a profession, betake oneself to, turn one's hand to, have to do with, office, place, post, chargeship, incumbency, living, situation, berth, employ, service, engagement, undertaking, drive a trade, carry on a trade, do a trade, transact a trade, carry on business, do business, transact business, keep a shop, ply one's task, ply one's trade, labor in one's vocation, pursue the even tenor of one's way, attend to business, attend to one's work, officiate, serve, act, act one's part, play one's part, do duty, serve the office of, discharge the office of, perform the office of, perform the duties of, perform the functions of, hold an office, fill an office, fill a place, fill a situation, hold a portfolio, hold a place, hold a situation, be about, be doing, be engaged in, be employed in, be occupied with, be at work on, have one's hands in, have in hand, have on one's hands, have on one's shoulders, bear the burden, have one's hands full, be in the hands of, be on the stocks, be on the anvil, pass through one's hands, Adj, businesslike, workaday, professional, official, functional, busy, on hand, in hand, in one's hands, afoot, on foot, on the anvil, going on, acting, Adv, in the course of business, all in one's day's work, professionally.N business, occupation, employment, pursuit, what one is doing, what one is about, affair, concern, matter, case, matter in hand, irons in the fire, thing to do, agendum, task, work, job, chore, errand, commission, mission, charge, care, duty, part, role, cue, province, function, lookout, department, capacity, sphere, orb, field, line, walk, walk of life, beat, round, routine, race, career, office, place, post, chargeship, incumbency, living, situation, berth, employ, service, engagement, undertaking, vocation, calling, profession, cloth, faculty, industry, art, industrial arts, craft, mystery, handicraft, trade, exercise, work, avocation, press of business, businesslike, workaday, professional, official, functional, busy, on hand, in hand, in one's hands, afoot, on foot, on the anvil, going on, acting, in the course of business, all in one's day's work, professionally Adj, a business with an income at its heels, amoto quaeramus seria ludo, par negotiis neque supra.
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