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bureaucracy

byoo-ROK-ruh-see /bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi/

nounB2GRETOEFLIELTSUPSC

formalneutral

A system of government or administration in which most decisions are taken by state officials rather than elected representatives.

Can be neutral in political science, but often carries a negative connotation of inefficiency, excessive rules, and rigid slowness.

The story behind the word. In 18th-century France, a 'bureau' originally referred to the coarse woolen cloth covering a writing desk, and later to the desk itself. French economist Vincent de Gournay coined 'bureaucratie' by combining 'bureau' with the Greek suffix '-cratie' (rule), creating a satirical term for 'rule by desks' or office clerks.

Word relationships

administration: Administration refers broadly to executive management, whereas bureaucracy specifically highlights hierarchical rules and officialdom.
civil service: Civil service refers to the workforce itself, while bureaucracy refers to the institutional structure and rule system.

autocracy: Autocracy is rule by a single absolute individual, whereas bureaucracy distributes power across structured rules and offices.

Commonly confused with

democracy: Democracy means rule by the people through elected representatives, whereas bureaucracy means administration by appointed officials.

Word family

bureaucrat (noun): An official in a government department or heavy administrative structure.
bureaucratic (adjective): Relating to or characteristic of a rigid system of administration.
bureaucratize (verb): To make a process or organization increasingly administrative and rule-bound.

Collocations

entrenched bureaucracy
state bureaucracy
administrative bureaucracy
bureaucracy reduction

Idioms & expressions

bureaucratic nightmare
swallowed by bureaucracy

Example sentences

"Precision, speed, unambiguity, knowledge of files, and continuity are raised to the optimum point in the strictly bureaucratic administration." Sociological analysis of modern state governance
"The state government created a new oversight committee in an attempt to streamline the state bureaucracy." Public sector management critique

Memory hook

Imagine a giant bureau (desk) taking over a government building until the desks rule the entire country. Rule by the desk.

When not to use

Do not use to describe informal leadership, small agile teams, or non-hierarchical community groups.

Fun facts

The term was created as a satirical joke in France before becoming a foundational concept in global sociology.