Functional things are useful rather than decorative.
...modern, functional furniture.
The decor is functional.
Synonyms: practical, utility, utilitarian, serviceable More Synonyms of functional
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Functional means relating to the way in which something works or operates, or relating to how useful it is.
...rules defining the territorial boundaries and functional limits of the local state.
functionallyadverb [ADVERB adjective, ADVERB with verb]
The Indian cavalry under Haig became a functionally efficient unit.
It satisfies the user's requirements both functionally and emotionally.
3. adjective
Functional equipment works or operates in the way that it is supposed to.
We have fully functional smoke alarms on all staircases.
Synonyms: working, operative, operational, in working order More Synonyms of functional
functional in British English
(ˈfʌŋkʃənəl)
adjective
1.
of, involving, or containing a function or functions
2.
practical rather than decorative; utilitarian
functional architecture
3.
capable of functioning; working
4. medicine
affecting a function of an organ without structural change
5. psychology
a.
relating to the purpose or context of a behaviour
b.
denoting a psychosis such as schizophrenia assumed not to have a direct organic cause, like deterioration or poisoning of the brain
Compare organic psychosis
noun
6. mathematics
a function whose domain is a set of functions and whose range is a set of functions or a set of numbers
Derived forms
functionally (ˈfunctionally)
adverb
functional in American English
(ˈfʌŋkʃənl)
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to a function or functions
functional difficulties in the administration
2.
capable of operating or functioning
When will the ventilating system be functional again?
3.
having or serving a utilitarian purpose; capable of serving the purpose for which it was designed
functional architecture
a chair that is functional as well as decorative
4. Also: functionalistic(of a building or furnishing)
constructed or made according to the principles of functionalism or primarily as a direct fulfillment of a material need
5. Medicine
without a known organic cause or structural change
a functional disorder
Compare "> organic (sense 5)
6.
pertaining to an algebraic operation
a functional symbol
7. Linguistics(of linguistic analysis, language teaching, etc.)
concerned with the communicative role of language rather than, in addition to, or as the framework for its formal structure
noun
8. Math
a function that has a domain whose elements are functions, sets, or the like, and that assumes numerical values
Derived forms
functionality
noun
functionally
adverb
Word origin
[1625–35; function + -al1]
Examples of 'functional' in a sentence
functional
For fully functional delivery, in terms of US dollars, we're talking... eight figures.
Mark Burnell CHAMELEON (2002)
The office was immediately next door: a large, coldly functional room smelling strongly of perfumed wax polish.
West, Charles STAGE FRIGHT (2002)
In other languages
functional
British English: functional ADJECTIVE
Functional things are useful rather than decorative.
...modern, functional furniture.
American English: functional
Brazilian Portuguese: funcional
Chinese: 实用的
European Spanish: funcional
French: fonctionnel
German: zweckmäßig
Italian: funzionale
Japanese: 実用的な
Korean: 기능적인
European Portuguese: funcional
Latin American Spanish: funcional
All related terms of 'functional'
functional food
a food containing additives which provide extra nutritional value
functional load
the relative frequency of occurrence of words that are differentiated in one and the same position by only one distinctive feature. In English, the opposition of voiced and voiceless th has a low functional load being used only to distinguish such pairs as ether and either , or wreath and wreathe
functional disease
a disease in which there is no observable change in the structure of an organ or part
functional group
the group of atoms in a compound , such as the hydroxyl group in an alcohol , that determines the chemical behaviour of the compound
functional shift
the conversion of a linguistic form from one part of speech to another, as the use of a noun as a verb
functional water
water containing additives that provide extra nutritional value
functional analysis
the branch of mathematics that deals with the theory of vector spaces and linear functionals
functional calculus
the system of symbolic logic concerned not only with relations between propositions as wholes but also with the representation by symbols of individuals and predicates in propositions and with quantification over individuals
functional currency
A functional currency is the main currency used by a business .
functional illiterate
a person whose literacy is insufficient for most work and normal daily situations
aquaceutical
water containing additives that provide extra nutritional value
predicate calculus
the system of symbolic logic concerned not only with relations between propositions as wholes but also with the representation by symbols of individuals and predicates in propositions and with quantification over individuals
truth-function
a function that determines the truth-value of a complex sentence solely in terms of the truth-values of the component sentences without reference to their meaning