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 bureau
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
Following that ruling, the administration swiftly moved once again to fire most of the bureau's staff.
—
Laurel Wamsley, NPR, 15 Aug. 2025
His proposal, along with his views on Social Security, has raised concerns about the politicization of the bureau's key statistics particularly after the president fired the previous BLS chief after a soft jobs report earlier this month.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau earlier this year dropped a similar case after President Donald Trump fired the agency’s leader and his administration halted nearly all the bureau’s work, closed its headquarters and moved to fire many of its workers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
This includes the Phantom Hacker attacks which the bureau warns are now soaring again.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureau
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Laurel Wamsley, NPR, 15 Aug. 2025
His proposal, along with his views on Social Security, has raised concerns about the politicization of the bureau's key statistics particularly after the president fired the previous BLS chief after a soft jobs report earlier this month.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau earlier this year dropped a similar case after President Donald Trump fired the agency’s leader and his administration halted nearly all the bureau’s work, closed its headquarters and moved to fire many of its workers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
This includes the Phantom Hacker attacks which the bureau warns are now soaring again.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureau
Cite this Entry
“Bureau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureau. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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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