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
On Tuesday, the bureau announced a plan to release more water from Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River.
—
Chaewon Chung
april 12, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Amidi, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, beat out a roster of candidates that included Iraq’s current Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, who was the pick of the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Amidi, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, beat out a roster of candidates that included Iraq’s current foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, who was the pick of the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party.
—Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The bureau can help by sending an inspector to the property to assess and take photos.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bureau
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Chaewon Chung
april 12, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Amidi, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, beat out a roster of candidates that included Iraq’s current Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, who was the pick of the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Amidi, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, beat out a roster of candidates that included Iraq’s current foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, who was the pick of the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party.
—Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The bureau can help by sending an inspector to the property to assess and take photos.
—Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 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 15 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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