bureaucrat
Americannoun
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an official of a bureaucracy.
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an official who works by fixed routine without exercising intelligent judgment.
noun
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an official in a bureaucracy
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an official who adheres to bureaucracy, esp rigidly
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bureaucrat
From the French word bureaucrate, dating back to 1835–45. See bureau, -crat
Explanation
A bureaucrat is an administrative official who works for the government. You brought the budget office bureaucrat a book about literacy, hoping to convince him you need more funding for the library. The word bureaucrat comes from bureaucracy, which means a system of government where state officials make decisions instead of elected ones. In America, bureaucrat often has a negative ring to it because some people think they make procedures too complicated and time-consuming — driving people crazy but ensuring they, the bureaucrats, stay busy processing it.
Vocabulary lists containing bureaucrat
This Week in Words: August 25 - 31, 2018
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President Obama's Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
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The Boy on the Wooden Box
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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.
"We want a fair investigation," she said, adding that anyone responsible - "whether a bureaucrat, employee, middleman or a big politician" - would face action.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
For a bureaucrat, John Bolton cuts a pretty memorable figure.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
If he wants to live large, there are more amenable careers than being a high-level bureaucrat tasked with keeping the public safe from crime.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
The column contends this response reinforced perceptions that he is a joyless bureaucrat, not a person voters can relate to or trust with state leadership.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
Was he simply being a bureaucrat who didn't like the fact that a name had been crossed out without his official permission?
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
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.
