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

If successful, the DOJ’s actions will further straddle already struggling small businesses with additional rules and red tape could threaten the network’s security. —Jay Reddick, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Dec. 2024

The new production services unit fills a gap of sorts at Neom and should help sort and streamline any issues with Saudi red tape, making Saudi’s most ambitious media hub more user friendly for productions seeking to shoot there. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024

On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised a number of housing policies aimed at spurring construction and lowering costs, including opening tracts of federal land for new builds and slashing red tape. —Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 4 Dec. 2024

This could include reducing certain tariffs — such as those on Canadian lumber, which were sharply increased during the Biden administration — as well as expediting environmental reviews and reducing red tape. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

red tape

noun

: rules and regulations that waste people's time