red tape
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noun
excessive formality and routine required before official action can be taken.
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Origin of red tape
First recorded in 1730–40; after the red tape used to tie official documents
OTHER WORDS FROM red tape
redtapism, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for red tape
red tape
noun
obstructive official routine or procedure; time-consuming bureaucracy
Word Origin for red tape
C18: from the red tape used to bind official government documents
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
Cultural definitions for red tape (1 of 2)
red tape
Bureaucratic procedures that delay progress: “Paula had hoped to settle the inheritance quickly but got caught up in a lot of red tape.”
Cultural definitions for red tape (2 of 2)
red tape
Administrative procedures, especially in a bureaucracy, that are marked by complexity and delay: “Red tape delayed his passport.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with red tape
red tape
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]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.