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

Listen to this article Mayor Brandon Johnson has put up for sale more than 400 vacant lots across Chicago, part of an initiative to cut red tape, better leverage city resources, attract more private investment, and build more affordable housing. —Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025

Decrease the regulatory burden and cut red tape for small businesses (47%), Support more workforce development and training (34%), Modernize communication systems and technology (34%), and Increase small business procurement goals and accountability (32%). —Rohit Arora, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Opponents say most Medicaid recipients who can work already do so, and the critics say work requirements add red tape that is expensive to administer and could lead Medicaid recipients to lose their coverage over paperwork issues. —Tony Leys, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2025

But opponents of House Bill 345, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, argued the bill would add red tape, complexity and cost to the Medicaid program. —Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for red tape

• agape
• escape
• landscape
• lenape
• reshape
• seascape
• soundscape
• ape
• cape
• crape
• crepe
• drape

Kids Definition

red tape

noun

: rules and regulations that waste people's time