bureaucracy

American  

[byoo-rok-ruh-see] / bjʊˈrɒk rə si /

noun

bureaucracies plural

1. government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.

2. the body of officials and administrators, especially of a government or government department.

3. excessive multiplication of, and concentration of power in, administrative bureaus or administrators.

4. administration characterized by excessive red tape and routine.

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bureaucracy British  

/ bjʊəˈrɒkrəsɪ /

noun

1. a system of administration based upon organization into bureaus, division of labour, a hierarchy of authority, etc: designed to dispose of a large body of work in a routine manner

2. government by such a system

3. government or other officials collectively

4. any administration in which action is impeded by unnecessary official procedures and red tape

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bureaucracy Cultural  

1. A formal, hierarchical organization with many levels in which tasks, responsibilities, and authority are delegated among individuals, offices, or departments, held together by a central administration. According to many sociologists and anthropologists, the development of bureaucratic organizations is necessary for the emergence of any modern civilization. (See Max Weber.)

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Discover More

Today, the term bureaucracy suggests a lack of initiative, excessive adherence to rules and routine, red tape (see also red tape), inefficiency, or, even more serious, an impersonal force dominating the lives of individuals. (See Big Brother is watching you.)

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bureaucracies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bureaucracy

First recorded in 1810–20; bureau + -cracy, modeled on French bureaucratie

Explanation

A bureaucracy is an organization made up of many departments and divisions that are administered by lots of people. If you've ever had to deal with health insurance or financial aid, you're familiar with the dark side of bureaucracy. Bureaucracy has a bad reputation because it has come to mean an organization or government that is chin-deep in red tape and unnecessary procedures. When dealing with a bureaucracy, expect to fill out lots of forms and wait. Bureaucracies are mocked in the hilarious film "Brazil," where people have mind-numbing jobs they do while sitting at desks. Bureaucracy is an organization administered by people behind desks, or bureaus. Bureaus, get it?

Example Sentences

The influx of international aid has given thousands of people a new way to receive care, including ordinary citizens who had stopped going to the doctor because of cost or bureaucracy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026

First, it can show up as small irritations — like feeling annoyed with the bureaucracy or the transportation system.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2026

The measure says revenues cannot be spent on state bureaucracy or administrative costs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026

Germany's export-led industry was long the engine of its economic success but has been hit hard in recent years by rising energy and labour costs as well as cumbersome bureaucracy.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

"I saw the queues, the shortages, the filthiness of public lavatories, the bureaucracy, the corruption, the red tape, the rudeness of officials, the impossibility of obtaining redress when one had a complaint," he remembered.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• administration
• authority
• civil service
• management
• ministry
• red tape