bureaucracy

noun bu·reau·cra·cy \ byu̇-ˈrä-krə-sē , byə- , byər-ˈä- \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of bureaucracy

plural bureaucracies

1 a : a body of nonelective government officials

b : an administrative policy-making group

2 : government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority

3 : a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation

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Examples of bureaucracy in a Sentence

As Europe slipped deeper into the war, the uranium panel twiddled its thumbs. It was so mired in bureaucracy that by the spring of 1940, it had managed to approve only the $6,000 in research funds earmarked for Fermi and Szilard, so they could purchase uranium and graphite for their fission experiments. —Jennet Conant, Tuxedo Park, 2002
In recent books and articles a small but outspoken chorus of former CIA case officers has portrayed the once proudly swashbuckling agency as a timid, politically correct bureaucracy, overly concerned with being held to account by the press and Capitol Hill. —Evan Thomas, Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2002
Proving that even lumbering federal bureaucracies can move quickly when they have to, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week took advantage of Congress' extended holiday break to introduce its long-awaited—and, perhaps, long-dreaded—ergonomic standards. —Editor & Publisher, 27 Nov. 1999
She was fed up with all the red tape and bureaucracy.
Both candidates pledge to simplify the state's bloated bureaucracy.

Recent Examples of bureaucracy from the Web

The case illustrates how bureaucracy in Cook County can slow investigations for years.

— gregory pratt, chicagotribune.com, "Doctor working for Cook County tallied $248K in unauthorized expenses — including piano, flights, iTunes charges," 17 Apr. 2018
There are a lot of steps that have to happen between now and then, most fundamentally that this is an FBI investigation, not NCAA, so the evidence would have to be transferred or otherwise accepted from one bureaucracy to another.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: KU & the FBI, Royals & stinking, Vermes & Reid switching jobs & more | The Kansas City Star," 17 Apr. 2018
Union leaders say the criticism is unfair and blame poor decision-making by management and an unwieldy bureaucracy.

— charles v. bagli, New York Times, "With Pickets and Lawsuits, Unions and Developers Go to War," 13 Apr. 2018
That ISIS’s penchant for brutality is matched by its acumen for efficient bureaucracy.

— Longreads, "The Top 5 Longreads of the Week," 6 Apr. 2018
Both are conflicts between bureaucracies trying to force their will over poor and working-class communities.

— valerie russ, Philly.com, "It's been 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Are things better or worse?," 3 Apr. 2018
For most of its runtime, Unsane is a nerve-jangling modern-day Kafka story, as Sawyer and her horrified mother (Amy Irving) crash up against an indifferent bureaucracy designed to keep people like Sawyer locked up.

— scott meslow, GQ, "Unsane Review: A Horror Movie About What It’s Like to Be a Woman," 22 Mar. 2018
Aviation Week & Space Technology reports that parts shortages and bureaucracy are hampering efforts to keep the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the air.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Lack of Spare Parts Is Keeping F-35s on the Ground," 14 Mar. 2018
Tocco says his firm makes a point of expanding beyond legislative work, to include navigating other facets of government bureaucracy and providing strategic advice.

— jon chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "Poll may help Commonwealth Institute’s chief get more women in the C-suites," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bureaucracy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Roots of bureaucracy

Bureaucracy was borrowed from the French bureaucratie, which itself was formed by combining bureau (“desk”) and -cratie (a suffix denoting a kind of government). The English word can refer to an entire body of unelected government officials or to the problematic system (often filled with red tape) that may result from administration by bureaucrats. From its earliest appearances, bureaucracy has carried a distinctly negative connotation. An 1815 London Times article, for example, declares: “. . . it is in this bureaucracy, Gentlemen, that you will find the invisible and mischievous power which thwarts the most noble views, and prevents or weakens the effect of all the salutary reforms which France is incessantly calling for.”

Origin and Etymology of bureaucracy

borrowed from French bureaucratie, from bureau bureau + -cratie -cracy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1815

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Government and Politics Terms

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BUREAUCRACY Defined for English Language Learners

bureaucracy

noun

Definition of bureaucracy for English Language Learners

: a large group of people who are involved in running a government but who are not elected
: a system of government or business that has many complicated rules and ways of doing things

Learn More about bureaucracy

See words that rhyme with bureaucracy Spanish Central: Translation of bureaucracy Nglish: Translation of bureaucracy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bureaucracy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bureaucracy

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Definition of bureaucracy

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