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bureaucracy

/bjʊˈrɒkrəsi/  ·  say it: byoo·ROK·ruh·see

government administration through fixed procedures and officials

In Politics & Diplomacy

In more detail

1. (noun) a system of government or management in which there are many rules, procedures, and officials

2. (noun) the officials and office workers who carry out these rules and procedures

Examples

• 1. The company's bureaucracy makes it slow to get decisions approved.
• 2. The bureaucracy at the immigration office processed his application.

How to use bureaucracy

Bureaucracy typically refers to a complex system of administration involving many rules and procedures, often with a negative connotation suggesting inefficiency or excessive formality. It can denote both the system itself and the officials who manage it. While sometimes neutral, the word often carries a critical tone when describing slow or cumbersome administrative processes.

Common phrases

• cut through bureaucracy
• navigate bureaucracy
• reduce bureaucracy
• government bureaucracy
• unnecessary bureaucracy
• bureaucratic red tape

Synonyms

red tape · administration · officialdom · bureaucratic system · regulatory framework

Opposites

informality · flexibility

Word family

bureaucrat · bureaucratic · bureaucratically

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use bureaucracy as a countable noun (e.g., 'a bureaucracy' to mean a single rule or procedure) when it is typically uncountable when referring to the system itself, though 'a bureaucracy' is correct when referring to a specific administrative organization or government.

Nearby in Politics & Diplomacy

amendment, autonomy, bilateral, caucus, coalition, communiqué

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained