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

See Examples For:

bureaucracy bureaucracies

Fedorov said he was grateful for British support but blamed "bureaucracy and red tape" for delays in receiving promised equipment.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

What happened on May 11 reflects one tribe’s decadeslong navigation of the byzantine bureaucracy in Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

They also said there can be bureaucracy in getting scheduling changes approved by a manager.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Today he is helping Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought reshape the federal bureaucracy.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

It had been entertaining and fascinating to find here on Gethen governments so similar to those in the ancient histories of Terra: a monarchy, and a genuine full-blown bureaucracy.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Has the office served its purpose, or has it lingered one bureaucracy layered on top of a bunch of other bureaucracies, as some critics foresaw?

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026

Experts, she says, need to focus on increasing the resilience of critical infrastructure and government bureaucracies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

But the US has rejected this stance, with White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios saying: "AI adoption cannot lead to a brighter future if it is subject to bureaucracies and centralised control."

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026

But organized grassroots movements have the power to challenge these lethal bureaucracies, whether at home or abroad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025

Such bureaucracies were essential not only to governing large and populous domains but also to maintaining standing armies, sending out fleets of exploration, and organizing wars of conquest.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

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