bureaucratic

adjective

bu·​reau·​crat·​ic ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkra-tik 

ˌbyər-

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or a bureaucrat

bureaucratic government

a bureaucratic organization

bureaucratic procedures

bureaucratically

ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkra-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌbyər-

adverb

Examples of bureaucratic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet this cohort of future managers and VPs was willing to follow this conservative ethos and even miss their numbers for the sake of preserving the bureaucratic order. —Shayne Fitz-Coy, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Signed into law by President Jimmy Carter, the landmark policy stripped away federal, bureaucratic control over routes, fares, and market entry. —Jackson Shedelbower, Oc Register, 17 June 2025

Doug Mills | Via Reuters Army leadership has talked about improvements to bureaucratic processes for years, but it's been slow going. —Morgan Brennan,leanne Miller, CNBC, 16 June 2025

The likelihood that this will go well — and not be a bureaucratic nightmare for thousands of homeowners — is infinitesimal. —U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French bureaucratique, from bureaucrate bureaucrat or bureaucratie bureaucracy + -ique -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bureaucratic

• anti-bureaucratic

Rhymes for bureaucratic

• adiabatic
• aristocratic
• asymptomatic
• axiomatic
• diagrammatic
• diaphragmatic
• electrostatic
• endolymphatic
• epigrammatic
• homeostatic
• idiomatic
• magnetostatic

Kids Definition

bureaucratic

adjective

bu·​reau·​crat·​ic ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkrat-ik 

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or bureaucrat

bureaucratically

-ˈkrat-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb