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.
The column contends this response reinforced perceptions that he is a joyless bureaucrat, not a person voters can relate to or trust with state leadership.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
They sent a lower-ranking bureaucrat to sign it—a diplomatic snub.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
It has arguably made her the country's most famous bureaucrat.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
"But these were exceptions to the rule - relying on individual brilliance rather than a system that will function even after the bureaucrat is long gone," says Mr Bisen.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025
He had fought for South Africa during World War II in North Africa and Italy, but after his return, a white bureaucrat had reclassified him as African.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
