red tape

noun

: official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction

bureaucratic red tape

… enterprisers that show how people across the Nation are coping (or not coping) with such problems as unemployment, the budget deficit and Government red tape.

—John Weisman

… pompous officials (often lowly clerks) in love with red tape who delight in obstructing the expedition of what should be simple procedures.

—Norman W. Schur

Initial plans became irretrievably mired in the red tape of building permissions.

—Bella Pollen

Their plan is simple enough and none too glamorous: create a Web site to help people cut through red tape; i.e., pay for parking tickets and so on.

—Sarah Kerr

Examples of red tape in a Sentence

You would not believe the red tape involved in getting the required permits.

Recent Examples on the Web

The bill targets the cost of construction, regulatory red tape, zoning restrictions, and banking hurdles. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 24 June 2026

An attempt to ease zoning and permitting rules Many housing experts point to local zoning and red tape as the root of the slowdown in homebuilding. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Britain’s carmakers were early and outspoken opponents of Brexit, arguing that increased red tape surrounding shipments of parts and finished vehicles would damage an industry built on a network of interlinked factories in multiple European countries. — ABC News, 22 June 2026

Carmakers had many challenges Britain’s carmakers were early and outspoken opponents of Brexit, arguing that increased red tape surrounding shipments of parts and finished vehicles would damage an industry built on a network of interlinked factories in multiple European countries. — Danica Kirka, Fortune, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the red tape formerly used to bind legal documents in England

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for red tape

• agape
• escape
• landscape
• lenape
• reshape
• seascape
• soundscape
• ape
• cape
• crape
• crepe
• drape

Kids Definition

red tape

noun

: rules and regulations that waste people's time