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

Americans grew to accept what were new forms of bureaucratic intervention introduced by Roosevelt and the Democrats for the purpose of managing capitalism. —Justin Peck / Made By History, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025

The bureaucratic overhead of administering grants dilutes their efficiency, with federal dollars usually arriving below 65 cents on the dollar. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025

But neighbors felt the process was tied up in bureaucratic doublespeak. —Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025

These groups often rely heavily on federal aid programs and may lack the resources to navigate bureaucratic hurdles independently. —Scott White, Forbes, 13 Mar. 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