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

Spanning France and Japan and shifting between French and Japanese, All of a Sudden is largely made up of bureaucratic meetings and characters on long walks. — Elissa Suh, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Beijing will likely suffer from a lengthy period of political inertia under Xi, coupled with a hollowing out of bureaucratic capacity—and then see a succession crisis in the 2030s or 2040s. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

The report details how bureaucratic disorganization left the Fed vulnerable to overspending on a project to renovate and connect a pair of historical federal buildings in Washington. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2026

However, there are fewer outside resources to help residents with these bureaucratic tasks. — Aaron Bolton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

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