red tape

American  

noun

1. excessive formality and routine required before official action can be taken.

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red tape British  

noun

1. obstructive official routine or procedure; time-consuming bureaucracy

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red tape ¹ Cultural  

1. Bureaucratic procedures that delay progress: “Paula had hoped to settle the inheritance quickly but got caught up in a lot of red tape.”

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red tape ² Cultural  

1. Administrative procedures, especially in a bureaucracy, that are marked by complexity and delay: “Red tape delayed his passport.”

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red tape Idioms  

1. Official forms and procedures, especially those that are complex and time-consuming. For example, There's so much red tape involved in approving our remodeling that we're tempted to postpone it indefinitely. This expression alludes to the former British custom of tying up official documents with red ribbon. [Early 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

• redtapism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of red tape

First recorded in 1730–40; after the red tape used to tie official documents

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

red tape

The benefits of space-based data centers, proponents say, are that companies can avoid regulatory red tape and community backlash.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

"There's too much red tape... it's terrible, it really is," said Phil Morrill.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

A new federal housing law is aimed at slashing red tape associated with producing modular and manufactured homes, the Journal’s Lily Belle Poling writes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Dozens of Gaza students who won scholarships to universities in Italy are still waiting to be evacuated due to bureaucratic red tape, leaving qualified students in a deadly conflict zone, AFP has found.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

"It's amazing how much red tape gets cut when everyone's rooting for one man to survive."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• bureaucracy