bureaucratic
adjective
bu·reau·crat·ic
ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkra-tik 
ˌbyər-
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or a bureaucrat
bureaucratic government
a bureaucratic organization
bureaucratic procedures
Examples of bureaucratic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lengthy timelines, changing political priorities and bureaucratic red tape can slow progress and introduce significant uncertainty into project planning.
—
Seth Gellis, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
We are entangled in a bureaucratic maze: FEMA, the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, IRS and a patchwork of state and local agencies.
—Robert Kaplan, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
That work requirement is seen as bureaucratic red tape targeting a small pool of able-bodied participants who aren’t currently working, while potentially kicking out many others who are already working but making too little to afford health coverage.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 June 2025
Despite the gloomy overtones, Loznitsa’s powerful movie asserts that goodness hides within the confines of institutional control, worming its way through the boundaries of bureaucratic red tape in an effort to do some good.
—Eric Kohn, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureaucratic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Seth Gellis, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
We are entangled in a bureaucratic maze: FEMA, the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, IRS and a patchwork of state and local agencies.
—Robert Kaplan, Mercury News, 3 June 2025
That work requirement is seen as bureaucratic red tape targeting a small pool of able-bodied participants who aren’t currently working, while potentially kicking out many others who are already working but making too little to afford health coverage.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 June 2025
Despite the gloomy overtones, Loznitsa’s powerful movie asserts that goodness hides within the confines of institutional control, worming its way through the boundaries of bureaucratic red tape in an effort to do some good.
—Eric Kohn, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureaucratic
Cite this Entry
“Bureaucratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureaucratic. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bureaucratic
adjective
bu·reau·crat·ic
ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkrat-ik
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or bureaucrat
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share