bureau
noun
bu·reau
ˈbyu̇r-(ˌ)ō 
ˈbyər-
plural bureaus also bureaux
ˈbyu̇r-(ˌ)ōz
ˈbyər-
1
a
b
: a low chest of drawers for use in a bedroom
2
a
: a specialized administrative unit
especially
: a subdivision of an executive department of a government
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
b
: a branch of a newspaper, newsmagazine, or wire service in an important news center
the newspaper's Washington D.C. and New York bureaus
c
: a usually commercial agency that serves as an intermediary especially for exchanging information or coordinating activities
credit bureau
the local visitor's bureau
Examples of bureau in a Sentence
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The book is on top of my bureau.
Recent Examples on the Web
Greenberger joined Politico as executive vice president in 2024 after a decade as ABC News’ Washington bureau chief.
—
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Mar. 2026
According to a report by the Washington Post, Patel has directed agents in the bureau’s San Francisco office to redact the case files for public release.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The bureau also sourced data from surveys conducted by Mexico.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
This can include transaction monitoring along with three-bureau credit monitoring, so activity linked to your identity can be seen across accounts and credit files at the same time.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bureau
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Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Mar. 2026
According to a report by the Washington Post, Patel has directed agents in the bureau’s San Francisco office to redact the case files for public release.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The bureau also sourced data from surveys conducted by Mexico.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
This can include transaction monitoring along with three-bureau credit monitoring, so activity linked to your identity can be seen across accounts and credit files at the same time.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bureau
Cite this Entry
“Bureau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureau. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bureau
noun
bu·reau
ˈbyu̇(ə)r-ō
plural bureaus also bureaux
-ōz
1
a
: a subdivision of a government department
Federal Bureau of Investigation
b
: a business office providing services for the public
a travel bureau
2
: a low chest of drawers for use in a bedroom
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