Bureaucracy
noun /bjʊˈrɒk.rə.si/ — A system of rules, processes, and officials that governs an organisation.
Definition
A system of government or organisation with many complicated rules and processes, managed by many officials. Max Weber defined it as the rational-legal form of authority — organised by rules rather than personal loyalty. In practice, it often becomes its own obstacle.
Beyond the definition
Bureaucracy exists to serve systems, not people — and it shows. It is the experience of being a number in a form in a queue to speak to someone who cannot actually help you but who is doing their job.
Origin & history
French: 'bureau' (desk, office) + Greek: 'kratos' (power). Literally 'desk-power' — rule by the office, the administrator, the form. The concept was analysed rigorously by Max Weber in the early 20th century.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The bureaucracy had been designed for an age of paper and had not kept up with anything else.
She spent four months navigating the bureaucracy before she was allowed to begin.
Weber saw bureaucracy as rational and necessary — and also as an iron cage that had trapped modern humanity.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Bureaucracy” when the meaning fits your context: A system of government or organisation with many complicated rules and processes, managed by many officials. Max Weber defined it as the rational-legal form of authority — organised by rules rather than personal loyalty. In practice, it often becomes its own obstacle.
Synonyms
red tape, administration, officialdom, apparatus
Antonyms
anarchy, flexibility, informality
Related words
Bureaucracy vs administration
Administration is the neutral process of managing an organization. Bureaucracy often carries a negative connotation, referring to excessive, rigid rules and slow procedures that impede efficiency.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Adult Standing in Courtroom
An adult stands in a vast, quiet, wood-paneled courtroom, holding a single document.
The formal environment of the courtroom and the reliance on specific documentation exemplify bureaucracy, where complicated rules and official processes govern the individual's actions.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Bureaucracy" mean?
Bureaucracy is noun meaning: A system of rules, processes, and officials that governs an organisation.. A system of government or organisation with many complicated rules and processes, managed by many officials. Max Weber defined it as the rational-legal form of authority — organised by rules rather than personal loyalty. In practice, it often becomes its own obstacle.
Where does the word "Bureaucracy" come from?
French: 'bureau' (desk, office) + Greek: 'kratos' (power). Literally 'desk-power' — rule by the office, the administrator, the form. The concept was analysed rigorously by Max Weber in the early 20th century.