noun
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the outlook or behaviour of officials, esp those rigidly adhering to regulations; bureaucracy
-
officials or bureaucrats collectively
Etymology
Origin of officialdom
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.
Despite her energetic enquiries to several layers of officialdom within Germany and beyond, Usik says she "hasn't been able to find a solution".
From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026
Signal has gone from a platform favoured by dissidents to the unofficial whisper network of Washington officialdom.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2025
Although many governments have official contacts with Haftar and the eastern-based parliament, Libya's divisions mean there are rival layers of officialdom when dealing on a national level, including when sending aid.
From Reuters • Sep. 13, 2023
But on the principle that one waits to be asked to join the most exclusive clubs, Seoul officialdom is keeping mum.
From Washington Times • May 18, 2023
Uniforms, posters warning against fifth columnists, two big air-raid shelters dug into the park lawns, and everywhere, surly officialdom.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
