function

function: ▪ I. function func‧tion ¹ [ˈfʌŋkʆn] noun

1. [countable] the purpose for which something is made or used, or the job that someone does; =role:

• The main function of a cash-machine is to provide people with cash when the bank is shut.

• He was once asked what he considered the function of a chairman to be.

• In your new job you will be expected to perform many different functions.

• For accounting purposes the Bank's function as the issuer of currency notes is shown separately from its banking activities.

2. [uncountable] the way in which something works or operates, or the way in which it is used:

• People buy design rather than function; otherwise why bother to design a beer can? The beer stays the same.

3. sales/personnel/accounting etc function HUMAN RESOURCES the part of a company that is responsible for sales, accounting etc:

• Why do companies use headhunters instead of their own in-house recruiting facilities and personnel function?

• The more efficient a company's accounting function might be, the less time it should take to do the audit.

4. [countable] COMPUTING an operation or series of operations performed by a computer or a computer program:

• You press the Ins key once to turn on a function and press it again to turn off the same function.

5. a function of if one thing is a function of another, it is produced by or varies according to the other thing:

• The unit price at any time is a function of the prevailing interest rates and the risk involved.

• For marketing purposes, purchases by customers are assumed to be a function of advertising and promotional expenditure.
— see also consumption function

[m0] ▪ II. function function ² verb [intransitive]

1. to work or operate:

• Can you explain exactly how this new system will function?

• Different types of organizations will require differing types of budgets to enable them to function effectively.

• A manager should identify and resolve factors stopping a member of staff from functioning properly.

2. MANUFACTURING if a machine or system functions, it works or operates in the way that it is supposed to:

• We usually run tests to check that the air conditioning system is functioning properly.

• Hospitals function in spite of the system, but only because of the enormous professional devotion of their staffs.

function as something phrasal verb [transitive]

to become something else or to do the work of another person or thing:

• The British Chamber of Commerce cannot function as a holding company, but can carry out service activities for the group.

• It took a year to train a group of people to function as general managers.

* * *

Ⅰ.

function UK US /ˈfʌŋkʃ^ən/ noun

► [C or U] the purpose that something has: »The perfect marriage between product design and function account for the company’s success in the computer market.
»A fundamental function of the Bank of England is the responsibility of carrying out monetary policy operations.

► [C or U] a job or task that someone or something does: »My function is to help coordinate efficient communication between the departments.
»carry out/perform a function

► [C] HR a particular area of responsibility of a company: »a sales/marketing/business function
core/corporate functions »Of all the core functions of most companies, innovation has arguably the most competitive value.

► [C] IT a process which a computer or a software program uses to complete a task: a search/save/sort function »The website benefits from a highly-efficient search function.

► [C] an official occasion or event attended by many people: »a charity/social/work function

● be a function of sth — Cf. be a function of sth

→ See also CONSUMPTION FUNCTION(Cf. ↑consumption function)

Ⅱ.

function UK US /ˈfʌŋkʃ^ən/ verb [I]

► to work correctly and as expected: »function effectively/properly/well
»Flights were delayed because the airport computer system was not functioning.

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Synonyms:

Performance, execution, discharge, exercise / Office, duty, business, employment, occupation, part, province / Dependent, derivative, value derived / Law of derivation, form of function, form

Look at other dictionaries:

Function — Func tion, n. [L. functio, fr. fungi to perform, execute, akin to Skr. bhuj to enjoy, have the use of: cf. F. fonction. Cf. {Defunct}.] 1. The act of executing or performing any duty, office, or calling; performance. In the function of his public … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
function — n 1 Function, office, duty, province are comparable when they mean the act, acts, activities, or operations expected of a person or thing by virtue of his or its nature, structure, status, or position. Function is the most comprehensive of these… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
function — 1. The noun has a number of technical meanings in mathematics and information technology, and has acquired general meanings that caused Fowler (1926) to categorize it as a popularized technicality. As a noun, it is often used somewhat… … Modern English usage
function — [fuŋk′shən] n. [OFr < L functio < pp. of fungi, to perform < IE base * bheug , to enjoy > Sans bhuṅktē, (he) enjoys] 1. the normal or characteristic action of anything; esp., any of the natural, specialized actions of a system, organ … English World dictionary
Function — may refer to:* Function (biology), explaining why a feature survived selection * Function (mathematics), an abstract entity that associates an input to a corresponding output according to some rule * Function (engineering), related to the… … Wikipedia
function — I noun appropriate activity, assignment, business, chore, design, duty, employment, exploitation, mission, munus, occupation, office, officium, performance, purpose, pursuit, responsibility, role, task, usage, use, utility, work associated… … Law dictionary
Functĭon — (v. lat. Functio), 1) Verrichtung; Amtsverrichtung; daher Functioniren, ein Amt verrichten; 2) nach Kant die Einheit der Handlung, verschiedene Vorstellungen unter eine gemeinschaftliche zu ordnen; 3) die naturgemäße Thätigkeit eines Organs; 4)… … Pierer's Universal-Lexikon
function — [n1] capacity, job action, activity, affair, behavior, business, charge, concern, duty, employment, exercise, faculty, goal, mark, mission, object, objective, occupation, office, operation, part, post, power, province, purpose, raison d’être*,… … New thesaurus
function — ► NOUN 1) an activity that is natural to or the purpose of a person or thing. 2) a large or formal social event or ceremony. 3) a computer operation corresponding to a single instruction from the user. 4) Mathematics a relation or expression… … English terms dictionary
Function — Func tion (f[u^][ng]k sh[u^]n), Functionate Func tion*ate, v. i. To execute or perform a function; to transact one s regular or appointed business. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
function — function, functionalism Although the use of the concepts of function and functionalism is usually associated with the work of Talcott Parsons in modern sociology, there is a long tradition of functional explanation in studying societies, and a… … Dictionary of sociology

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