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bureaucracy

Pronunciation: /ˌbjʊ(ə)ˈrɒkrəsi/
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Definition of bureaucracy

noun (plural bureaucracies)

[mass noun]
  • 1a system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
  • [count noun] a state or organization governed or managed as a bureaucracy.
  • [count noun] the officials in a bureaucracy, considered as a group or hierarchy.
  • 2excessively complicated administrative procedure:the unnecessary bureaucracy in local government

Origin:

early 19th century: from French bureaucratie, from bureau (see bureau)

Spelling help

Remember that bureaucracy and the related word bureaucrat are spelled with -eau- in the middle.

bureaucracy in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bureaucracy in the US English dictionary

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