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 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 Season 5 never quite figured out how to make drama out of bureaucratic stasis, and so every season since has seemed like an eventful counter-reaction. Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 To apply for a work visa in the United States is to set out on a biblical odyssey through a glacial, bureaucratic process renowned for its voracious appetite for complex and expensive paperwork. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 This is how the monument madness ends — with bureaucratic squabbles, the moral arguments, so-called, long since discarded. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 27 Feb. 2024 This means for every $1 spent on building, $0.40 is lost to the bureaucratic process. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024 Supplies were stronger at the beginning of the war, but since then, Ukraine’s military has suffered from the slow, bureaucratic nature of NATO and U.S. deliveries. Tara Sonenshine, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 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 19 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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