bureaucracy

[byoo-rok-ruh-see]

noun

plural

bureaucracies 

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.

bureaucracy

/ 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

bureaucracy

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.)

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.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of bureaucracy¹

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

Example Sentences

Through wielding his famous chainsaw External link, he has succeeded in streamlining the country’s bloated government bureaucracy and producing the country’s first budget surplus in over a decade.

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The president is seeking to push through massive cuts to the federal bureaucracy during the shutdown.

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The dynamic duo has clogged up the bureaucracy, requiring that all contracts over $100,000 be personally approved by Lewandowski — a step that has created massive delays in paying the bills.

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Disgruntled merchants have blocked off the famous Maradona Square in Naples, preventing tourists and visitors from glimpsing the gigantic mural of the Argentine footballer, in a row over bureaucracy.

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"We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy."

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Related Words

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