bureaucratic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- antibureaucratic adjective
- bureaucratically adverb
- nonbureaucratic adjective
- nonbureaucratically adverb
- semibureaucratic adjective
- semibureaucratically adverb
- unbureaucratic adjective
- unbureaucratically adverb
Etymology
Origin of bureaucratic
From the French word bureaucratique, dating back to 1830–40. See bureaucrat, -ic
Explanation
Anything bureaucratic has to do with the business of running an organization — usually not in a very efficient manner. If there are bureaucrats or a bureaucracy involved, go ahead and call it bureaucratic. This adjective is used in a negative sense to describe a person or organization more concerned with following procedures than being guided by common sense. Bureaucratic things usually involve loads of paperwork and nonsensical rules, otherwise known as "red tape" — a connection that originated in the 17th century when official documents were bound together with actual red tape.
Vocabulary lists containing bureaucratic
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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.
Current and former Social Security officials have told ProPublica over the past year that the SSI program’s complexities and absurdities remain perhaps the agency’s biggest bureaucratic headache.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
Caught in a web of bureaucratic intrigue, he wrestles with matters of maturity, morality, conscience and redemption he has long evaded.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
The status quo was saddling administrators with long hours without extra pay amid increasing bureaucratic compliance demands as well as heightened pressure to raise test scores.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
He has staked his leadership on aggressive reforms that aim to deliver double-digit growth, slashing bureaucratic red tape, empowering the private sector and channelling vast resources into mega-projects.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
She knew well there had to be such forms of bureaucratic supposition.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
