bureau

noun

bu·​reau ˈbyu̇r-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce bureau (audio)
ˈbyər-
plural bureaus also bureaux ˈbyu̇r-(ˌ)ōz How to pronounce bureau (audio)
ˈbyər-
1
a
British : writing desk
especially : one having drawers and a slant top
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 In his 44 years with CBS, Rather held every post a network reporter could: bureau chief, war correspondent, foreign correspondent, White House correspondent. Lee Cowan, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2024 Steven Erlanger first traveled to East Germany in 1981, and later became bureau chief in Berlin. Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024 Annie Hill Annie Hill is platforms editor based in NBC News' London bureau. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024 Two Googlers who were involved in the protest in California told Bloomberg that a group of workers gathered on the sixth floor of Google’s Sunnyvale bureau, where Cloud Chief Executive Officer Thomas Kurian’s office is located, to show support for those who were staging the sit-in. TIME, 18 Apr. 2024 The school issued thousands of the income-share loans, but stopped offering them this year, according to the bureau’s order against the school. Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024 In 2022, the largest share of those workers who were fatally injured — 26% — were in the transportation and material moving occupations, according to the bureau. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024 In 1963, he was sent to NBC’s Washington bureau to report on the civil rights movement and to help cover the White House. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024 Sign up for the Australia Letter Newsletter Conversation starters about Australia and insight on the global stories that matter most, sent weekly by the Times’s Australia bureau. Victoria Kim, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bureau.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, desk, cloth covering for desks, from Old French burel woolen cloth, from Old French *bure, from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bureau was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near bureau

Cite this Entry

“Bureau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureau. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

bureau

noun
bu·​reau ˈbyu̇(ə)r-ō How to pronounce bureau (audio)
plural bureaus also bureaux -ōz How to pronounce bureau (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on bureau

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