bureaucrat
Americannoun
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an official of a bureaucracy.
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an official who works by fixed routine without exercising intelligent judgment.
noun
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an official in a bureaucracy
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an official who adheres to bureaucracy, esp rigidly
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bureaucrat
From the French word bureaucrate, dating back to 1835–45. See bureau, -crat
Explanation
A bureaucrat is an administrative official who works for the government. You brought the budget office bureaucrat a book about literacy, hoping to convince him you need more funding for the library. The word bureaucrat comes from bureaucracy, which means a system of government where state officials make decisions instead of elected ones. In America, bureaucrat often has a negative ring to it because some people think they make procedures too complicated and time-consuming — driving people crazy but ensuring they, the bureaucrats, stay busy processing it.
Vocabulary lists containing bureaucrat
This Week in Words: August 25 - 31, 2018
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President Obama's Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
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The Boy on the Wooden Box
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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.
How in the world New York got lucky enough to employ a brilliant bureaucrat with the twin passions of law enforcement and rat control is a question that may never be answered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
For a bureaucrat, John Bolton cuts a pretty memorable figure.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
So how did this seemingly quiet, retiring child and self-effacing bureaucrat turn into a president who so avidly embraced the limelight?
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
It’s all very silly, especially since Wilkins is far more famous for dating a high-level bureaucrat than for her forgettable song stylings.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
Was he simply being a bureaucrat who didn't like the fact that a name had been crossed out without his official permission?
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
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.
