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Functional

//ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    In good working order.

    "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. 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. 3
    Only for functional purposes, notably in architecture.

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

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

    "functional responsibilities"

  5. 5
    Characterizing functioning in environment, being symptoms that do not presuppose alteration of organic structure.

    "The clinical differentiation between functional and organic disease is at times difficult to establish, because, presumptively, in the beginning, at least, all organic disease is preceded by a physiologic perversion, that is, functional alteration, which may or may not be apparent with our present diagnostic limitations. […] Though benign rhythmic disturbances, such as premature contractions or paroxysmal tachycardia, do occur, it is notoriously difficult and still the subject of argument whether these may be called functionally benign or whether they may prove to have organic significance. […] The lack of opportunity for the medical student to observe the functional states in the medical school clinics and hospital practice, because of lack of space, or interest in their care in intramural teaching, is, I believe, a most forceful argument for a period of extramural practice under intelligent tutelage."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    Optimized for all-around physiological benefit.

    "functional coffee"

  2. 7
    Of or relating to a function or functions.
  3. 8
    Having semantics defined purely in terms of mathematical functions, without side-effects.
Adjective
  1. 1
    designed for or capable of a particular function or use wordnet
  2. 2
    (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing wordnet
  3. 3
    involving or affecting function rather than physiology wordnet
  4. 4
    designed for or adapted to a function or use wordnet
  5. 5
    fit or ready for use or service wordnet
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    relating to or based on function especially as opposed to structure wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    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. 2
    A scalar-valued linear function on a vector space.
  3. 3
    An object encapsulating a function pointer (or equivalent).

Etymology

Etymology 1

From function + -al.

Etymology 2

From function + -al.

See also for "functional"

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