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

bureaucratically

ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkra-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌbyər-

adverb

Examples of bureaucratic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ultimately, the cuts could undermine the efforts of Lee and others who assist foreign lawyers and victims of injustice facing harassment, retaliation and bureaucratic brick walls, from Latin America to Kyrgyzstan and several nations in Africa. —Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025

The move follows the imposition of new layers of bureaucratic scrutiny on wind farm permits, and the withdrawal of permits for at least one major offshore wind farm already under construction. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Washington needs a tool for breaking through defense industrial bureaucratic inertia, so even if there weren’t an AUKUS, the United States would have to create one. —Gary Roughead, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025

Espinal had spent the last decade trying to apply for a green card but faced a lot of bureaucratic red tape, according to Foxwell. —Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French bureaucratique, from bureaucrate bureaucrat or bureaucratie bureaucracy + -ique -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bureaucratic

• anti-bureaucratic

Rhymes for bureaucratic

• adiabatic
• aristocratic
• asymptomatic
• axiomatic
• diagrammatic
• diaphragmatic
• electrostatic
• endolymphatic
• epigrammatic
• homeostatic
• idiomatic
• magnetostatic

Kids Definition

bureaucratic

adjective

bu·​reau·​crat·​ic ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkrat-ik 

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or bureaucrat

bureaucratically

-ˈkrat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb