noun
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the outlook or behaviour of officials, esp those rigidly adhering to regulations; bureaucracy
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officials or bureaucrats collectively
Etymology
Origin of officialdom
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.
Mexican officialdom is well aware that the Mexican economy is kept afloat by a combination of migrant remittances and North American market access.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Despite her energetic enquiries to several layers of officialdom within Germany and beyond, Usik says she "hasn't been able to find a solution".
From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026
The findings were seen as vindication for those who found themselves facing down powerful officialdom, the state, and religious institutions - and often struggling to be believed.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2024
But on the principle that one waits to be asked to join the most exclusive clubs, Seoul officialdom is keeping mum.
From Washington Times • May 18, 2023
Uniforms, posters warning against fifth columnists, two big air-raid shelters dug into the park lawns, and everywhere, surly officialdom.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
