bureaucracy

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

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

Perhaps conventional public schooling, massive government bureaucracy, and other similar institutions can be justified on grounds unrelated to giving people a say.

— ilya somin, Washington Post, "Democracy and Brown v. Board of Education," 19 Aug. 2017
In Howard County that's government bureaucracy at its worst.

— kate magill, Howard County Times, "County fighting back as drug abuse death toll climbs," 14 Aug. 2017
Secretary Tillerson plans to push responsibility for cybersecurity issues deeper into the department's bureaucracy as part of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "Tillerson cuts high-profile cyberdiplomacy office in State Dept. reorg," 20 July 2017
To be fair to advisers, such regulations mean extra bureaucracy.

— The Economist, "Following a fiduciary rule," 13 July 2017
These businesses — first drawn to Switzerland’s political stability and Zug’s smooth bureaucracy — have found a country open to their unorthodox ideas about currency.

— sonia zhuravlyova, MSNBC Newsweek, "The Future of Money: Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrency Technologies Are a Way of Life in This Small Swiss Town," 11 July 2017
The list was released following a legal challenge by ITIM, the Jewish Life Advocacy Center, an organization that helps Israelis deal with the rabbinate's bureaucracy.

— ilan ben zion, Jewish Journal, "Israeli list of unrecognized US rabbis points to rift," 10 July 2017
The list was released following a legal challenge by ITIM, the Jewish Life Advocacy Center, an organization that helps Israelis deal with the rabbinate’s bureaucracy.

— Washington Post, "Israeli list of unrecognized US rabbis points to rift," 9 July 2017
The steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Bused-in Crowds Do Their Job During Trump’s Warsaw Speech," 6 July 2017

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

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First Known Use: 1815

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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