bureaucratic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- antibureaucratic adjective
- bureaucratically adverb
- nonbureaucratic adjective
- nonbureaucratically adverb
- semibureaucratic adjective
- semibureaucratically adverb
- unbureaucratic adjective
- unbureaucratically adverb
Etymology
Origin of bureaucratic
From the French word bureaucratique, dating back to 1830–40. See bureaucrat, -ic
Explanation
Anything bureaucratic has to do with the business of running an organization — usually not in a very efficient manner. If there are bureaucrats or a bureaucracy involved, go ahead and call it bureaucratic. This adjective is used in a negative sense to describe a person or organization more concerned with following procedures than being guided by common sense. Bureaucratic things usually involve loads of paperwork and nonsensical rules, otherwise known as "red tape" — a connection that originated in the 17th century when official documents were bound together with actual red tape.
Vocabulary lists containing bureaucratic
This Week in Words: September 17 - 24, 2017
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Just Mercy
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Color of Water
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Recalling the day in a recent interview with The Times, Cook quickly turns indignant about the bureaucratic odyssey that yellow slip launched.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
We’re talking about an enormous bureaucratic organization with 2,000 years of weird and troubled history, whose massive internal contradictions and bitter factional disputes are only partly visible to outsiders.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
Brockman wrote a lengthy piece of feedback for Daniela accusing her of abusing her power to create bureaucratic processes to get her way.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
In an earlier post, he blamed "bureaucratic problems" for holding up his plans to modernise the armed forces' equipment and their aircraft.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Typically the restoration process is a bureaucratic maze that requires the payment of fines or court costs.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
