noun
bureaucracy
byoor-ROK-ruh-see
noun
1
A system of government or organization run through many layered offices and officials following fixed rules.
"The country's bureaucracy has thousands of civil servants."
2
Excessive rigid procedure and red tape in any organization.
"Getting a simple permit took months because of the bureaucracy involved."
How to Use Bureaucracy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe layers of offices and rules that run large organizations — often used to complain about excessive paperwork.
Common pairings
government bureaucracy
cut through the bureaucracy
Word Forms
bureaucracies plural
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The country's _____ has thousands of civil servants.
Etymology
Coined in French from "bureau" ("office") plus "-cratie" ("rule of"), by the 18th-century economist Vincent de Gournay.