bureaucratic

adjective bu·reau·crat·ic \ ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkra-tik , ˌbyər- \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of bureaucratic

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or a bureaucrat

bureaucratic government

a bureaucratic organization

bureaucratic procedures

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bureaucratically

play \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Recent Examples of bureaucratic from the Web

Others have been bureaucratic, such as a merger of bank and insurance watchdogs in order to improve oversight.

— The Economist, "China has made progress in tackling financial risks," 14 June 2018
Ethiopia invoked technical and bureaucratic justifications to derail the implementation of the boundary commission's decision and ultimately frustrated the process, setting the scene for the intractable stalemate.

— awol k. allo, CNN, "Ethiopia's new Prime Minister has had a stellar two months, can he keep it up?," 7 June 2018
The financial and bureaucratic barriers to gun ownership, explained one California police officer, tend to disadvantage the same people who would supposedly be most empowered by the availability of tools of self-defense.

— jay willis, GQ, "Owning a Gun in America Is a Luxury," 30 Apr. 2018
The trouble with health care is that frankly, the government has asserted itself too much in our health care system and it's become too bureaucratic and uncompetitive.

— angela hart, sacbee, "Will California fail financially without single-payer health care? Candidates for governor disagree | The Sacramento Bee," 24 Apr. 2018
The Tule Wind Project opened a little more than three months ago after 13 years of bureaucratic and legal battles.

— rob nikolewski, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tule Wind Project knocked offline," 25 Apr. 2018
Monroe spent two years speaking with sources and unraveling the bureaucratic and cultural threads that kept the Navajo Nation Amber Alert system from working as well as is does off the reservation.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Sometimes the Story Finds You: An Interview With Rachel Monroe," 23 Apr. 2018
But Clay’s report also cataloged a litany of bureaucratic hurdles, from RV restrictions in Houston to duplicative housing inspections run out of a labyrinth of state and federal agencies.

— kevin diaz, San Antonio Express-News, "Lesson from Harvey response: Cut the red tape," 15 Mar. 2018
The discussions are occurring as the new embassy clears its final bureaucratic hurdles.

— josh lederman, USA TODAY, "Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson offers to help pay for Jerusalem embassy: report," 23 Feb. 2018

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