noun
-
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.
As Los Angeles became more crowded and less pleasant a place to live, the high-handedness of Southern California developers and officialdom occasionally got those hands slapped.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
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
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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
