bureau
noun
bu·reau
ˈbyu̇r-(ˌ)ō 
ˈbyər-
plural bureaus also bureaux
ˈbyu̇r-(ˌ)ōz
ˈbyər-
1
a
b
: a low chest of drawers for use in a bedroom
2
a
: a specialized administrative unit
especially
: a subdivision of an executive department of a government
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
b
: a branch of a newspaper, newsmagazine, or wire service in an important news center
the newspaper's Washington bureau
c
: a usually commercial agency that serves as an intermediary especially for exchanging information or coordinating activities
credit bureau
the local visitor's bureau
Examples of bureau in a Sentence
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The book is on top of my bureau.
Recent Examples on the Web
The government requires non-Norwegians to obtain prior permission before visiting.
Svalbard, in contrast, has a total population of about 2,500, as of the latest data from Norway's statistics bureau.
—
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
Beginning the debt settlement process usually requires you to stop making payments on your bills, which is reported to the credit bureaus and can cause your credit score to drop.
—Victor Rosario, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025
More than 100 million people, an astounding 42% of the U.S. adult population, have bad (or no) credit, according to a 2022 study published by the credit bureau Experian and consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
—Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
That means the goods cleared customs and were ready for immediate consumption in U.S. Since the bureau began collecting the monthly data in 2002, the previous high was $295 billion in March 2022.
—Dian Zhang, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureau
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Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
Beginning the debt settlement process usually requires you to stop making payments on your bills, which is reported to the credit bureaus and can cause your credit score to drop.
—Victor Rosario, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025
More than 100 million people, an astounding 42% of the U.S. adult population, have bad (or no) credit, according to a 2022 study published by the credit bureau Experian and consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
—Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
That means the goods cleared customs and were ready for immediate consumption in U.S. Since the bureau began collecting the monthly data in 2002, the previous high was $295 billion in March 2022.
—Dian Zhang, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureau
Cite this Entry
“Bureau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureau. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bureau
noun
bu·reau
ˈbyu̇(ə)r-ō
plural bureaus also bureaux
-ōz
1
a
: a subdivision of a government department
Federal Bureau of Investigation
b
: a business office providing services for the public
a travel bureau
2
: a low chest of drawers for use in a bedroom
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