bureaucratic

adjective

bu·​reau·​crat·​ic ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkra-tik How to pronounce bureaucratic (audio)
ˌbyər-
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or a bureaucrat
bureaucratic government
a bureaucratic organization
bureaucratic procedures
bureaucratically adverb

Examples of bureaucratic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For nearly six months, students and schools navigated a bureaucratic mess caused by severe delays in launching the website and processing critical information. Zach Montague, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Gun rights advocates, meanwhile, have called it a bureaucratic mess and waste of taxpayer resources, noting the list is full of outdated or inaccurate information, that prohibited gun owners weren’t in most cases committing crimes with guns, and that cops have more pressing priorities. John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 In addition to the front-line fighters who battled rival Syrian and Iraqi factions, thousands of functionaries engaged in such mundane bureaucratic tasks as collecting taxes and conducting restaurant food-safety inspections. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Gun rights advocates frame the bill as a common-sense measure to prevent federal authorities from taking away weapons based on reinterpretation of federal law by bureaucratic agencies. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 The new Colburn School concert hall on 2nd Street that Gehry designed has just begun construction after bureaucratic delays. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 If regulators don't integrate AI now, we will be stuck with bureaucratic blockages impeding the renewable energy our world desperately needs. Hudson Hollister, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 While the various legal maneuvers proceed in the courts and the bureaucratic endeavors meander through City Hall, the old church remains a forlorn and empty structure next to a field, parking lot and groups of vehicles on the site. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 But the fact that Navalny’s funeral went ahead, after two cruel weeks of bureaucratic delay and official obfuscation, is perhaps a sign of the Kremlin’s confidence. Nathan Hodge, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bureaucratic.' 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

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

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bureaucratic was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near bureaucratic

Cite this Entry

“Bureaucratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureaucratic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bureaucratic

adjective
bu·​reau·​crat·​ic ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkrat-ik How to pronounce bureaucratic (audio)
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or bureaucrat
bureaucratically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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