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
The new bureau, which will handle only disaster and emergency aid, is part of a larger office that oversees all foreign assistance.
—
Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Tomkins began his career editing news summaries for Radio Free Europe’s foreign bureaus before joining Newsweek in 1957 as a foreign news editor.
—News Desk, Artforum, 22 Mar. 2026
His tenure there saw the bureau's focus shift from domestic investigations to tackling foreign terrorists after the 9/11 attacks, during which time Mueller developed a reputation among agents for being no-nonsense.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
In response, Mueller led a sweeping transformation that is widely credited with saving the bureau from being stripped of many of its critical functions.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bureau
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Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Tomkins began his career editing news summaries for Radio Free Europe’s foreign bureaus before joining Newsweek in 1957 as a foreign news editor.
—News Desk, Artforum, 22 Mar. 2026
His tenure there saw the bureau's focus shift from domestic investigations to tackling foreign terrorists after the 9/11 attacks, during which time Mueller developed a reputation among agents for being no-nonsense.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
In response, Mueller led a sweeping transformation that is widely credited with saving the bureau from being stripped of many of its critical functions.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 21 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 26 Mar. 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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