the kind of action or activity proper to a person, thing, or institution; the purpose for which something is designed or exists; role.

any ceremonious public or social gathering or occasion.

a factor related to or dependent upon other factors

Price is a function of supply and demand.

Mathematics .

Also called correspondence , map , mapping , transformation. a relation between two sets in which one element of the second set is assigned to each element of the first set, as the expression y = x 2 ; operator.

Also called multiple-value function. a relation between two sets in which two or more elements of the second set are assigned to each element of the first set, as y 2 = x 2 , which assigns to every x the two values y = + x and y = ? x.

a set of ordered pairs in which none of the first elements of the pairs appears twice.

Geometry .

a formula expressing a relation between the angles of a triangle and its sides, as sine or cosine.

hyperbolic function.

Grammar .

the grammatical role a linguistic form has or the position it occupies in a particular construction.

the grammatical roles or the positions of a linguistic form or form class collectively.

Sociology . the contribution made by a sociocultural phenomenon to an ongoing social system.

to perform a specified action or activity; work; operate

The computer isn't functioning now. He rarely functions before noon.

to have or exercise a function; serve

In earlier English the present tense often functioned as a future. This orange crate can function as a chair.

verb

idle , malfunction

noun

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’tre , responsibility , role , service , situation , target , task , use , utility , work , celebration , do * , gathering , get-together , meeting , party , reception , job , festivity , fete , gala , occasion , soiree , attribute , attribution , discharge , entertainment , execution , functioning , mapping , metabolism , performance , perquisite , psychogenesis , psychosomatics

verb

act , act the part , behave , be in action , be in commission , be in operation , be running , cook , do , do duty , do one’s thing , get with it , go , go to town , move , officialize , officiate , operate , percolate * , react , run , serve , take , take care of business , perform , work , action , activity , affair , benefit , business , capacity , celebration , ceremony , duty , feast , festivity , gathering , goal , job , mission , object , occasion , occupation , office , operation , party , profession , providence , purpose , reception , role , service , task , use