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
Examples of bureaucratic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Starmer celebrated the bureaucratic machinations of this case—granting automatic citizenship by descent and then securing the end of Abd el-Fattah’s travel ban—without enough attention to the politics.
—
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Administrative red tape stifles growth Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Donner, the director of the Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, said administrative and bureaucratic inefficiencies within the prison system also slow down releases and keep people in prison longer than is necessary.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Firefighters have worked, or tried to work, given bureaucratic and other hurdles, with drones for years, but mainly for reconnaissance, says Bob Roper, a senior wildfire advisor for the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureaucratic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Administrative red tape stifles growth Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Donner, the director of the Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, said administrative and bureaucratic inefficiencies within the prison system also slow down releases and keep people in prison longer than is necessary.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Firefighters have worked, or tried to work, given bureaucratic and other hurdles, with drones for years, but mainly for reconnaissance, says Bob Roper, a senior wildfire advisor for the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bureaucratic
Cite this Entry
“Bureaucratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureaucratic. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bureaucratic
adjective
bu·reau·crat·ic
ˌbyu̇r-ə-ˈkrat-ik
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or bureaucrat
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share