bureaucratic

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˌbjʊərəˈkrætɪk/ 🇺🇸 /ˌbjʊrəˈkrætɪk/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Relating to or characteristic of a bureaucracy, especially involving complex procedures, rigid rules, and hierarchical organization.; Excessively concerned with administrative details, rules, and formalities, often to the point of being inefficient or obstructive.; Of or pertaining to bureaucrats or the class of government officials who administer public affairs.; Characterized by a rigid, impersonal, and rule-bound manner of operation, often lacking flexibility or individual discretion.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more bureaucratic Superlative: most bureaucratic

Collocations

bureaucratic red tapebureaucratic processbureaucratic systembureaucratic inefficiencybureaucratic hurdlesbureaucratic structure

Derivatives

bureaucracybureaucratbureaucraticallybureaucratizebureaucratization

Synonyms

administrativeofficialgovernmentalinstitutionalred-tape

Antonyms

efficientstreamlinedflexible

Commonly confused

bureaucracy
EN: 'Bureaucracy' is the noun referring to the system or body of officials; 'bureaucratic' is the adjective describing something characteristic of such a system.
bureaucrat
EN: 'Bureaucrat' is the noun for a person who works in a bureaucracy; 'bureaucratic' is the adjective describing qualities of the system.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember the 'eau' sequence (as in 'beauty') and the '-cratic' ending (from Greek 'kratos' meaning power). A common error is writing '*beaurocratic' or '*burocratic'.

💬 Examples

  1. The bureaucratic process required filling out dozens of forms before approval was granted.

  2. She was frustrated by the bureaucratic red tape that delayed the construction project for months.

  3. The bureaucratic elite held considerable influence over policy decisions in the capital.

  4. His bureaucratic approach to management stifled creativity among the team members.