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

Democrats have introduced a raft of new bills to save Californians billions in utility costs, limit extra fees for renters and cut red tape for building permits, among other measures, to target the growing financial burdens plaguing residents. —Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025

Traditional providers often operate with narrow contractor networks, lengthy wait times, and layers of red tape. —William Jones, USA Today, 7 May 2025

The loophole, called the de minimis rule, allowed products up to $800 to avoid tariffs and other red tape as long as they were shipped directly to U.S. consumers or small businesses. —Ana Swanson, New York Times, 2 May 2025

That could include boosting housing assistance, reducing development costs and cutting red tape for developers and taking advantage of financial programs for investment. —Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2025

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