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

Every administration promises to cut red tape; few deliver results. —Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

Yet, this is the everyday reality for healthcare providers: long waits for payment, endless red tape and the constant risk of never getting paid at all. —Ian Ye, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

Ultimately, Collision Course did not change popular music in a literal sense — officially released mash-up albums remain a rarity to this day, primarily because of the legal red tape. —Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024

Read more Here's why diabetes patients are worried Over the past year, many patients who depend on insulin have encountered shortages, delays and red tape from drug companies and pharmacies. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

red tape

noun

: rules and regulations that waste people's time