noun
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the outlook or behaviour of officials, esp those rigidly adhering to regulations; bureaucracy
-
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.
This turnaround is also exacerbating a culture of fear and uncertainty in the ranks of Chinese officialdom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 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
The modest scale of his work, its whiff of the romantic past, puts it at odds with the epic proportions and air of officialdom of I.M.
From New York Times ● Jan. 15, 2024
She was loved by many Hayti residents and feared, though often respected, by her numerous foes in Durham’s officialdom.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
