bureaucracy
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a system of government or business where many people and departments follow strict rules to get work done.
a system of administration based on organization into bureaus, division of labor, and a hierarchy of authority.
Simple“The university bureaucracy makes it difficult for students to change their majors quickly.”
In context“Modern states rely on a complex bureaucracy to manage public services and ensure that regulations are applied consistently across the population.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
too many complicated rules and processes that make it hard to achieve something.
excessive adherence to official rules and routine, often resulting in delay or inaction.
Simple“I had to deal with so much bureaucracy just to get a simple parking permit.”
In context“The entrepreneur complained that the sheer amount of bureaucracy involved in starting a small business was enough to discourage most investors.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
the group of people who work in and manage a large administrative system.
the collective body of administrators and officials, especially within a government framework.
Simple“The state bureaucracy was slow to respond to the needs of the local community.”
In context“Tensions between the elected politicians and the permanent bureaucracy often lead to significant delays in implementing new legislative policies.”
Synonyms
“Adjusting to a new country can also be highly stressful, between language barriers, money woes and immigration-related bureaucracy.”
“More than a looping melody, it has become the soundtrack of modern bureaucracy, an audible reminder that our time has value, just not always to the company keeping us waiting.”
From bureau + -cracy, from French bureaucratie, coined by Jean Claude Marie Vincent de Gournay from bureau (“office”) + -cratie (“rule of”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.