From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfunctionalfunc‧tion‧al /ˈfʌŋkʃənəl/ ●●○ AWL adjective 1 designed to be useful rather than beautiful or attractive OPP decorative buildings that are sensitively designed, not purely functional2 WORKING/NOT BROKENsomething that is functional is working correctly SYN operational By 2004, the Supertram is expected to be fully functional.3 PURPOSErelating to the purpose of something The two departments have slight functional differences. —functionally adverb
Examples from the Corpus
functional• So far, criticism of functionalist theories has been concerned with the view that stratification is functional.• These tin cookie cutters are both functional and decorative.• The company was divided into four main functional areas.• The Rotachute was a simple yet functional design.• It can be contemporary or traditional, marginally functional or not functional at all.• There is no question but that agency rulemaking is lawmaking in any functional or realistic sense of the term...• Nevertheless it is useful and justified to look at living systems from the functional point of view.• Up to this point, these new officials had no functional responsibilities.• In a functional sense, spillover was founded on the belief that contemporary economies were based upon a tangle of interrelated sectors.purely functional• In contrast to Livesey's, the room was purely functional.• The roomy silos of the hull flanks gave it a bulbous appearance that defied approval by any aesthetic but the purely functional.fully functional• The patient characteristically believes that the part is diseased or not fully functional.• Assimilation and accommodation are fully functional at birth.• In all patients the pouch had been fully functional for at least six months.• The Museum of Religious Art will be fully functional from immediately before the opening of Mayfest.• Mr Fothergill's 1991 seed catalogue includes a fully functional model which has a traditional iron wheel and is priced at £179.• The 1100 FD model is a fully functional PC-compatible notebook computer.• Intel is currently preparing fully functional samples of the chips for shipment to manufacturers in the second half.From Longman Business Dictionaryfunctionalfunc‧tion‧al /ˈfʌŋkʃənəl/ adjective [only before a noun]1connected with the purpose for which something is made or used, or with the job that someone doesThree key functional areas of management are marketing, production and personnel management.The project manager is responsible for ensuring that time and money are properly budgeted between functional departments.2designed to be useful rather than beautiful or decorativeWe now have premises which are both smart and functional.3working in a way that something is supposed toIntel is sending fully functional samples of the chips for shipment to manufacturers. —functionally adverbtools that are labour-saving and functionally efficient 