functional

English

Etymology

From function +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl/, /ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃnəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

functional (comparative more functional, superlative most functional)

1. In good working order.
   • 2002, Ludo Verhoeven, Carsten Elbro, Pieter Reitsma, editors, Precursors of Functional Literacy‎^[1]:

     While we assume that phonological subsyllabic units are functional prior to reading skill, we have not ruled out a possible interaction with the writing system.

2. Useful; serving a purpose, fulfilling a function.

   That sculpture is not merely artistic, but also functional: it can be used as a hatrack.

3. Only for functional purposes, notably in architecture.

   A functional construction element generally must meet higher technical but lower aesthetical requirements.

4. Of or relating to one's role or office; official.

   functional responsibilities

5. (mathematics) Of or relating to a function or functions.
6. (computing theory) Having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects.

   Synonym: pure

   Antonym: imperative

7. (medicine) Of a disease, such that its symptoms cannot be referred to any appreciable lesion or change of structure; opposed to organic disease, in which the organ itself is affected.

Synonyms

• functioning, working
• utilitarian

Antonyms

• dysfunctional
• non-functional, nonfunctional, unfunctional
• (antonym(s) of “medicine: not referrable to a change of structure”): organic

Hyponyms

• algofunctional
• crossfunctional
• difunctional
• hyperfunctional
• hypofunctional
• isofunctional
• metafunctional
• monofunctional
• morphofunctional
• myofunctional
• organofunctional
• parafunctional
• semifunctional
• subfunctional
• ultrafunctional

 

Derived terms

• afunctional
• amphifunctional
• anatomofunctional
• bifunctional
• biofunctional
• biofunctionalization
• cofunctional
• ecofunctional
• eigenfunctional
• equifunctional
• eufunctional
• functional beverage
• functional constituency
• functional drink
• functional equivalence
• functionalise
• functionalism
• functionalist
• functionalistic
• functionality
• functionalization
• functionalize
• functional linguistics
• functional load
• functionally
• functional necrophilia
• functional training
• functional water
• fyborg
• heptafunctional
• heterofunctional
• immunofunctional
• interfunctional
• malfunctional
• monofunctional
• multifunctional
• neurofunctional
• normofunctional
• oligofunctional
• pentafunctional
• plurifunctional
• polyfunctional
• positive linear functional
• prefunctional
• sociofunctional
• structural-functional
• superfunctional
• technofunctional
• teleofunctional
• tetrafunctional
• trifunctional
• unifunctional

 

Related terms

• function
• functional anatomy
• functional application
• functional bombing
• functional constraint
• functional decomposition
• functional dependency
• functional design
• functional diagram
• functional disorder
• functional electrical stimulation
• functional error recovery
• functional failure
• functional food
• functional genomics
• functional group
• functional interleaving
• functional magnetic resonance imaging
• functional MR imaging
• functional programming
• functional psychology
• functional requirement
• functional reserve
• functional residual capacity
• functional root
• functional specifications
• functional switching circuit
• functional unit
• functional work
• functionary
• non-functional requirement
• trivial functional dependency

 

Translations

in good working order

• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Azerbaijani: işlək
• Bulgarian: действащ (bg) (dejstvašt), функциониращ (bg) (funkcionirašt)
• Catalan: funcional (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 功能的 (zh) (gōngnéng de)

• Czech: funkční (cs)
• Danish: funktionsdygtig, funktionel
• Dutch: functionerend (nl), operationeel (nl), werkend (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: toimiva (fi)
• French: fonctionnel (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: funktional (de), Funktions-, funktionell (de), Gebrauchs (de)-, operativ (de)
• Greek: λειτουργικός (el) (leitourgikós)
• Italian: funzionante (it)
• Japanese: 機能の (ja) (きのうの, kinō no), 機能する (ja) (きのうする, kinō suru)
• Kazakh: атқарымдық (atqarymdyq), қызметтік (qyzmettık), функционалды (funksionaldy), функционалдық (funksionaldyq), функциялық (funksiälyq)
• Khmer: ដើរបាន (daə baan)
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: funksjonell (no)

  Nynorsk: funksjonell

• Polish: działający, sprawny (pl), aktywny (pl)
• Portuguese: funcional (pt)
• Romanian: funcțional (ro)
• Russian: функциони́рующий (ru) (funkcionírujuščij), де́йствующий (ru) (déjstvujuščij), рабо́чий (ru) (rabóčij), рабо́тающий (ru) (rabótajuščij)
• Spanish: operativo (es)
• Swedish: fungerande (sv)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

useful, serving a purpose

• Bulgarian: функционален (funkcionalen)
• Danish: funktionel
• Dutch: functioneel (nl), doelmatig (nl)
• Finnish: käytännöllinen (fi)
• French: fonctionnel (fr)
• German: funktional (de), Funktions-, funktionell (de), Gebrauchs (de)-, zweckmäßig (de)
• Greek: λειτουργικός (el) (leitourgikós)
• Irish: feidhmiúil, praiticiúil
• Italian: funzionale (it)
• Japanese: 便利 (ja) (べんり, benri), 機能的な (ja) (きのうてきな, kinōteki na), 便利 (ja) (べんり, benri)
• Middle English: official
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: funksjonell (no)

  Nynorsk: funksjonell

• Portuguese: funcional (pt)
• Russian: функциона́льный (ru) (funkcionálʹnyj)
• Spanish: útil (es)
• Swedish: funktionell (sv)
• Turkish: işlevsel (tr), fonksiyonel (tr)

only for functional purposes, notably in architecture

• German: funktional (de), funktionell (in der Medizin)

of or relating to a function or functions

• German: funktional (de), Funktions-

having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects

• Czech: funkcionální (cs)
• Danish: funktionel
• Finnish: funktionaalinen (fi)
• German: funktional (de), funktions-, funktionell (de)
• Greek: συναρτησιακός (el) (synartisiakós)
• Italian: funzionale (it)
• Polish: funkcyjny (pl)
• Russian: функциона́льный (ru) (funkcionálʹnyj)

such that its symptoms cannot be referred to any appreciable lesion or change of structure

• Bulgarian: функционален (funkcionalen)
• Danish: funktionel
• French: fonctionnel (fr)
• Irish: feidhmiúil
• Italian: funzionante (it)
• Kazakh: атқарымдық (atqarymdyq), қызметтік (qyzmettık), функционалды (funksionaldy), функционалдық (funksionaldyq), функциялық (funksiälyq)
• Portuguese: funcional (pt)
• Spanish: funcional (es)

Noun

functional (plural functionals)

1. (mathematics) A function that takes a function as its argument; more precisely, a function whose argument varies in a space of (real or complex valued) functions and whose value belongs to a monodimensional space.

   An example of a functional is the definite integration of integrable real functions in a real interval.

2. (mathematics, functional analysis) A scalar-valued linear function on a vector space.
3. (computing) An object encapsulating a function pointer (or equivalent).

Derived terms

• functional analysis
• functional analysis diagram
• linear functional

Translations

a function that takes a function as its argument

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 泛函 (faan³ haam⁴)

  Mandarin: 泛函 (zh) (fànhán)

• Dutch: functionaal (nl)
• Finnish: funktionaali (fi)
• German: Funktional n
• Hungarian: funkcionál (hu)
• Italian: funzionale (it) m
• Japanese: 汎関数 (はんかんすう, hankansū)
• Kazakh: функционал (funksional)
• Polish: funkcjonał m
• Russian: функциона́л (ru) m (funkcionál)
• Swedish: funktional (sv) c
• Turkish: işlevsi

an object encapsulating a function pointer

• Japanese: 関数オブジェクト (kansū obujekuto)

References

• functional on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Further reading

• “functional”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “functional”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “functional”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.