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

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Etymology

Origin of bureaucracy

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

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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

Rising immigration and the growth of short-term tourist rentals have added to demand, while bureaucracy and labour shortages are slowing construction.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Burnham claimed these agreements could add the equivalent of £10bn per year to the economy by 2040, arguing that it would be a "dereliction of duty" to turn away from the chance to cut bureaucracy.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

“We’re dealing with the bureaucracy of not knowing quite how all this should be handled.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

One risk is that the project is strangled by inflexibility in the Navy’s technical bureaucracy that certifies parts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Camille Cohen has always had a problem with impassive bureaucracy and authority figures.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

This is a skillset of someone who is happiest in the darkest corners of government—the swampiest of swamps—a realm of acronyms, white papers, and multihyphenate bureaucracies.

From Slate ● Oct. 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

Even small states have more complex bureaucracies than large chiefdoms.

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

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Related Words

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

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