officialdom

[ uh-fish-uhl-duhm ]

See synonyms for officialdom on Thesaurus.com

noun

the class or entire body of officials; officials as a whole.
the position or domain of officials.

Origin of officialdom

First recorded in1860–65; official + -dom

Words Nearby officialdom

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use officialdom in a sentence

And anti-corruption campaigners say that little has changed in certain parts of Ukrainian officialdom since the revolution.
Corruption Eats Away at Ukraine Military | Charles McPhedran | October 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Try standing up to officialdom with that amount of cleavage brandished at you.
Ukraine’s Pro-Putin Rebels Prepare for a Last Stand | David Patrikarakos | July 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Their hero died young in a car crash in 1990 at age 28, but his spirit lived on without any threat from Russian officialdom.
The Kremlin's Rock 'n Roll Revisionism | Anna Nemtsova | April 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The inaccuracies from Israeli officialdom didn't cease either.
Blame America First—And Only | Ali Gharib | December 5, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Pope Francis's trip to Brazil this week has captured hearts and minds as well as stoked pride among officialdom in Rio de Janeiro.
Pope Francis, ‘the Maker of Traffic Jams’ | Mac Margolis | July 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

The wavering ones would join, and then—no more officialdom or pass-laws or taxes.
Forging the Blades | Bertram Mitford
Its rule combines the disadvantage of absolute monarchy with the impersonality and irresponsibility of democratic officialdom.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind | Herbert George Wells
On the other hand, these ideas ran like wildfire through the military class, through Indian officialdom and the like.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind | Herbert George Wells
There thus originates an officialdom, organized on fixed principles and possessing carefully defined public privileges.
Elements of Folk Psychology | Wilhelm Wundt
Jason, used to the petty officialdom of a thousand worlds, waited for a few moments before he understood.
Deathworld | Harry Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for officialdom

officialdom

/ (əˈfɪʃəldəm) /

noun

the outlook or behaviour of officials, esp those rigidly adhering to regulations; bureaucracy
officials or bureaucrats collectively

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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