Dictionary Definition
function
Noun
1 a mathematical relation such that each element
of one set is associated with at least one element of another set
[syn: mathematical
function]
2 what something is used for; "the function of an
auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?"
[syn: purpose, role, use]
3 the actions and activities assigned to or
required or expected of a person or group; "the function of a
teacher"; "the government must do its part"; "play its role" [syn:
office, part, role]
4 a relation such that one thing is dependent on
another; "height is a function of age"; "price is a function of
supply and demand"
5 a formal or official social gathering or
ceremony; "it was a black-tie function"
6 a vaguely specified social event; "the party
was quite an affair"; "an occasion arranged to honor the
president"; "a seemingly endless round of social functions" [syn:
affair, occasion, social
occasion, social
function]
7 a set sequence of steps, part of larger
computer program [syn: routine, subroutine, subprogram, procedure]
Verb
1 perform as expected when applied; "The washing
machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still
run well?"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore" [syn: work, operate, go, run] [ant: malfunction]
2 serve a purpose, role, or function; "The tree
stump serves as a table"; "The female students served as a control
group"; "This table would serve very well"; "His freedom served him
well"; "The table functions as a desk" [syn: serve]
3 perform duties attached to a particular office
or place or function; "His wife officiated as his private
secretary" [syn: officiate]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
From fonction < function < functio gen. functionis "performance, execution" < functus pp. of fungor "perform, execute, discharge".Pronunciation
- /ˈfʌŋk.ʃən/, /"fVNkS@n/
- Rhymes: -ʌŋkʃən
Noun
- What something does or is used for.
- A professional or official position.
- An official or social occasion.
- A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance.
- A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain.
- A routine that returns a result.
- The physiological activity of an organ or body part.
- The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound.
Synonyms
- aim, intention, purpose, role, use
- occupation, office, part, role
- i-c official or social occasion affair, occasion, social occasion, social function
- many-to-one map, many-to-one mapping, mathematical function, operation, transformation
- procedure, routine, subprogram, subroutine
Related terms
Derived terms
terms derived from "function"
- absolutely continuous function
- acidity function
- adaptive-control function
- additive function
- additive set function
- adjoint wave function
- aggregate function
- Airy function
- Airy stress function
- algebraic function
- almost-periodic function
- alternating function
- analytic function
- analytical function generator
- anatomy of function
- AND function
- antihyperbolic function
- antisymmetric wave function
- antisymmetrized wave function
- antitrigonometric function
- arc-hyperbolic function
- autocorrelation function
- Baire function
- bei function
- ber function
- Bessel function
- beta function
- bifunctional
- biharmonic function
- Bloch function
- Boolean function
- Borel measurable function
- bounded function
- boxcar function
- Brillouin function
- built-in function
- Cantor function
- characteristic function
- circular function
- cofunction
- comparable function
- complementary function
- complete class of decision function
- composite function
- compressadensity function
- computable function
- concave function
- confluent hypergeometric function
- conjugate convex function
- connect function
- constant function
- constraint function
- contiguous function
- continuous function
- convex function
- cosine function
- cost function
- countably additive set function
- countably subadditive set function
- critical function
- cross-correlation function
- cyclosymmetric function
- cylinder function
- decreasing function
- delta function
- density function
- describing function
- differentiable function
- difunctional
- digamma function
- diode function generator
- Dirac wave function
- discriminant function
- disfunction
- dissipation function
- driving-point function
- dysfunction
- effectively computable function
- eigenfunction
- eigenfunction expansion
- Einstein partition function
- electron wave function
- electronic work function
- elementary function
- elementary symmetric function
- elliptic function
- Emden function
- entire function
- equivalent propositional function
- error function
- essentially bounded function
- Euler's phi function
- even function
- excitation function
- executive ego function
- explicit function
- exponential density function
- exponential function
- exponential generating function
- feedback transfer function
- Fermi-Dirac distribution function
- form function
- forward transfer function
- Fowler function
- frontogenetic function
- function code
- function failure safety
- function generator
- function key
- function multiplier
- function space
- function switch
- function table
- function unit
- function-evaluation routine
- functional
- functionalism
- functionality
- gamma function
- general-purpose function generator
- generalized transmission function
- generating function
- Green's function
- Hamiltonian function
- Hammett acidity function
- Hankel function
- harmonic function
- Heaviside unit function
- hei function
- her function
- Hildebrand function
- homogeneous function
- Hugoniot function
- hybrid wave function
- hyperbolic function
- hypergeometric function
- identity function
- implicit function
- implicit function theorem
- impulse function
- incidence function
- incomplete beta function
- incomplete gamma function
- increasing function
- independent function
- influence function
- information function of a partition
- initial mass function
- inner function
- integrable function
- integral function
- invariant function
- inverse function
- inverse function theorem
- inverse hyperbolic function
- inverse trigonometric function
- inverting function
- J function
- Jacobian elliptic function
- jump function
- kei function
- ker function
- Koebe function
- Lagrange stream function
- Lagrangian function
- Lamé function
- Lamé wave function
- Langevin function
- left-continuous function
- Legendre function
- Leverett function
- line function
- linear discriminant function
- linear function
- Liouville function
- locally integrable function
- logarithmic trigonometric function
- logarithmically convex function
- loop transfer function
- loss function
- lower semicontinuous function
- luminosity function
- Lyapunov function
- malfunction
- malfunction routine
- Massieu function
- mathematical function program
- Mathieu function
- Maxwell's stress function
- measurable function
- membership function
- meromorphic function
- microspec function
- minimal brain dysfunction syndrome
- Minkowski distance function
- Möbius function
- modified Bessel function
- modified Hankel function
- moment generating function
- momentum wave function
- monofunctional compound
- monogenic analytic function
- monotone function
- monotone nondecreasing function
- monotone nonincreasing function
- monotonic increasing function
- Morera's stress function
- multifunction array radar
- multilinear function
- multiplicative number-theoretic function
- natural function
- Neumann function
- nonfunctional packages software
- normal density function
- normalized function
- normalized support function
- NOT function
- nuclear response function
- number-theoretic function
- objective function
- odd function
- optimizing control function
- orthogonal function
- orthonormal function
- parabolic cylinder function
- partial function
- partial recursive function
- particle distribution function
- partition function
- Patterson function
- penalty function
- periodic function
- phase function
- piecewise-continuous function
- Planck function
- point characteristic function
- point function
- Poisson density function
- polynomial function
- positive linear functional
- positive real function
- power function
- predefined function
- principal function
- probability density function
- probability mass function
- programmed function key
- proper rational function
- propositional function
- psi function
- pulsed transfer function
- quadratic function
- Rademacher function
- radial distribution function
- radicofunctional name
- random function
- rational function
- Rayleigh's dissipation function
- real-valued function
- recursive function
- regular function
- regulatory control function
- restricted function
- Riccati-Bessel function
- Riemann function
- Riemann P function
- Riemann zeta function
- sample function
- scalar function
- scattering function
- Schrödinger wave function
- self-dual switching function
- self-organizing function
- sensitivity function
- separated-function synchrotron
- set function
- sharpness function technique
- shear-viscosity function
- sigma function
- simple function
- simply periodic function
- single-valued function
- sinusoidal function
- skewed density function
- Smarandache function
- source function
- special function
- spectral function
- spherical Bessel function
- staff function
- step function
- step-function generator
- Stokes stream function
- stress function
- subadditive function
- subadditive set function
- subharmonic function
- subsine function
- summable function
- superadditive function
- superharmonic function
- support function
- switch function
- switching function
- symmetric function
- tapped-potentiometer function generator
- test function
- tetrafunctional molecule
- thermionic work function
- thermodynamic function of state
- theta function
- tool-function controller
- torsion function
- transcendental function
- transfer function
- transition function
- transmission function
- trigamma function
- trigonometric cofunction
- trigonometric function
- truth function
- Turing computable function
- universal transmission function
- universal wavelength function
- upper semicontinuous function
- user-defined function
- variable diode function generator
- vector function
- viscous dissipation function
- wave function
- Wannier function
- Weierstrass function
- Weierstrassian elliptic function
- weight function
- work function
Translations
what something does or is used for
- Croatian: funkcija
- Czech: funkce, účel
- Danish: funktion
- Dutch: functie
- Finnish: tehtävä, tarkoitus
- French: fonction
- German: Funktion, Funktionalität
- Hebrew:
- Hungarian: funkció
- Irish: feidhm
- Italian: funzione
- Japanese: 機能 (kinō)
- Korean: 기능
- Kurdish: ,
- Latin: functio
- Norwegian: funksjon
- Portuguese: função
- Russian: функция
- Swedish: funktion, uppgift
professional or official position
- Croatian: funkcija
- Czech: funkce
- Danish: funktion
- Dutch: functie
- German: Funktion, Aufgabe
- Hebrew:
- Hungarian: funkció
- Irish: feidhm
- Japanese: 職務 (shokumu)
- Norwegian: post, stilling
- Portuguese: função
- Swedish: förrättning , kall , syssla , åliggande ,
official or social occasion
- Finnish: juhla, tilaisuus
- German: Funktion, Feier, Festveranstaltung
- Hebrew:
- Italian: cerimonia, funzione, ricevimento
- Norwegian: tilstelling
- Swedish: bjudning , tillställning
relation where one thing is dependent on another
- Croatian: funkcija
- Czech: funkce
- Danish: funktion
- Dutch: functie
- Hebrew:
- Italian: funzione
- Norwegian: funksjon
- Portuguese: função
- Swedish: funktion
mathematics: one-to-one relation
- Chinese: 函数
- Croatian: funkcija
- Czech: funkce
- Danish: funktion
- Dutch: functie
- Esperanto: funkcio
- Estonian: funktsioon
- Finnish: funktio
- French: fonction
- German: Funktion
- Greek, Modern: συνάρτηση
- Hebrew:
- Hungarian: függvény
- Icelandic: fall
- Ido: funciono
- Indonesian: fungsi
- Irish: feidhm
- Italian: funzione
- Japanese: 関数 (kansū)
- Korean: 함수
- Norwegian: funksjon
- Polish: funkcja
- Portuguese: função
- Romanian: funcţie
- Russian: функция
- Spanish: función
- Swedish: funktion
- Thai: ฟังก์ชัน
- Ukrainian: ін'єкція
- Urdu: عمل کام فعل
computing: routine that returns a result
biology: physiological activity of an organ or
body part
- Croatian: funkcija
- Czech: funkce
- Dutch: functie
- French: fonction
- German: Funktion, Zweck
- Irish: feidhm
- Italian: funzione
- Japanese: 機能 (kinō)
- Norwegian: funksjon
- Portuguese: função
- Swedish: funktion
chemistry: characteristic behavior of a chemical
compound
- Croatian: funkcija
- Dutch: functie
- German: Funktion
- Italian: funzione
- Japanese: 機能 (kinō)
- Swedish: funktion
Verb
- to have a function
- to carry on a function; to be in action
Synonyms
- i-c to have a function officiate, serve
- i-c to carry on a function go, operate, run, work
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
to have a function
to carry on a function
- ttbc Polish: działać, funkcjonować
Extensive Definition
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 utility/goal of a property
- Function (computer science), or subroutine, a portion of code within a larger program, performs a specific task
- Function object, or functor or functionoid, a concept of object-oriented programming
- Grammatical function, in language studies, the purpose of a word or phrase in a sentence
- Diatonic function describes a music term
- A formal event such as a party or meeting
See also
function in Bosnian: Funkcija (čvor)
function in Catalan: Funció
function in Czech: Funkce
function in German: Funktion
function in Estonian: Funktsioon
function in Spanish: Función
function in Esperanto: Funkcio
function in French: Fonction
function in Korean: 함수 (동음이의)
function in Italian: Funzione
function in Lithuanian: Funkcija
function in Lombard: Funziun
function in Dutch: Functie
function in Japanese: 関数
function in Norwegian: Funksjon
function in Polish: Funkcja
(ujednoznacznienie)
function in Portuguese: Função
(desambiguação)
function in Romanian: Funcţie
(dezambiguizare)
function in Russian: Функция
function in Simple English: Function
function in Slovak: Funkcia
function in Slovenian: Funkcija
(razločitev)
function in Swedish: Funktion (olika
betydelser)
function in Thai: ฟังก์ชัน
function in Chinese: 函数 (消歧义)
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
IC analysis, act, act as, acting, action, activism, activities, activity, affair, affairs, aim, ambition, animus, appositive, aspiration, assignment, attribute, attributive, baccalaureate
service, bag, banquet, be effective, be in
action, behave, behavior, business, capacity, celebration, ceremonial, ceremony, character, chore, commencement, commerce, commission, complement, concern, concernment, construction
modifier, convocation, counsel, cutting, deep structure,
desideration,
desideratum,
design, desire, determination, dinner, direct object, do duty,
doing, duty, effect, employ, employment, empty formality,
end use, enterprise,
event, exercise, exercises, faculty, filler, fixed purpose, form, form of worship,
form-function unit, formal, formality, formula, formulary, functioning, gala, gathering, go, goal, graduation, graduation
exercises, have effect, have free play, have play, holy rite,
idea, immediate constituent
analysis, immediate purpose, inaugural, inauguration, indirect
object, initiation,
institution,
intendment, intent, intention, interest, job, labor, levels, liturgy, lookout, make, mark, matter, meaning, militate, mind, mission, mode of worship,
modifier, motive, move, movements, mummery, mystery, nisus, object, objective, observance, occasion, occupation, office, officiate, operate, operation, operational
purpose, operations,
order of worship, ordinance, part, party, percolate, perform, perform as, performance, perk, phrase structure, place, plan, play, point, position, practice, praxis, predicate, prescribed form,
proceed, project, proposal, prospectus, province, purpose, qualifier, raison d'etre,
ranks, reception, religious ceremony,
resolution, resolve, responsibility, rite, rite de passage, rite of
passage, ritual, ritual
observance, rituality,
role, run, sacrament, sacramental, sake, serve, service, shallow structure,
slot, slot and filler,
solemnity, solemnization, strata, striving, structure, study, subject, surface structure,
swing, syntactic analysis,
syntactic structure, syntactics, syntax, tagmeme, take effect, target, task, thing, tick, ultimate purpose, underlying
structure, undertaking, use, view, will, word arrangement, word order,
work, work as, working, workings