I. ˈfəŋ(k)-shən noun
Etymology: Latin function-, functio performance, from fungi to perform; probably akin to Sanskrit bhuṅkte he enjoys
Date: 1533
1. : professional or official position : occupation
2. : the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists : purpose
3. : any of a group of related actions contributing to a larger action ; especially : the normal and specific contribution of a bodily part to the economy of a living organism
4. : an official or formal ceremony or social gathering
5.
a. : a mathematical correspondence that assigns exactly one element of one set to each element of the same or another set
b. : a variable (as a quality, trait, or measurement) that depends on and varies with another
height is a function of age
also : result
illnesses that are a function of stress
6. : characteristic behavior of a chemical compound due to a particular reactive unit ; also : functional group
7. : a computer subroutine ; specifically : one that performs a calculation with variables provided by a program and supplies the program with a single result
• func·tion·less -ləs adjective
Synonyms:
function , office , duty , province mean the acts or operations expected of a person or thing. function implies a definite end or purpose that the one in question serves or a particular kind of work it is intended to perform
the function of language is two-fold: to communicate emotion and to give information — Aldous Huxley
office is typically applied to the function or service expected of a person by reason of a trade or profession or a special relationship to others
they exercise the offices of the judge, the priest, the counsellor — W. E. Gladstone
duty applies to a task or responsibility imposed by one's occupation, rank, status, or calling
it is the judicial duty of the court, to examine the whole case — R. B. Taney
province applies to a function, office, or duty that naturally or logically falls to one
I felt it was not my province to inquire — Anne Brontë
II. intransitive verb
( func·tioned ; func·tion·ing -sh(ə-)niŋ)
Date: 1856
1. : to have a function : serve
an attributive noun function s as an adjective
2. : to carry on a function or be in action : operate
a government function s through numerous divisions