BUREAUCRACY Definition & Meaning

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bureaucracy

[ byoo-rok-ruh-see ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural bureaucracies.

government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.
the body of officials and administrators, especially of a government or government department.
excessive multiplication of, and concentration of power in, administrative bureaus or administrators.
administration characterized by excessive red tape and routine.

bureaucracy

/ ��ʊəˈ��ɒ��ə��ɪ /

noun

a system of administration based upon organization into bureaus, division of labour, a hierarchy of authority, etc: designed to dispose of a large body of work in a routine manner
government by such a system
government or other officials collectively
any administration in which action is impeded by unnecessary official procedures and red tape

bureaucracy

A formal, hierarchical organization with many levels in which tasks, responsibilities, and authority are delegated among individuals, offices, or departments, held together by a central administration. According to many sociologists and anthropologists, the development of bureaucratic organizations is necessary for the emergence of any modern civilization. ( See Max Weber .)

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Notes

Today, the term bureaucracy suggests a lack of initiative, excessive adherence to rules and routine, red tape (see also red tape ), inefficiency, or, even more serious, an impersonal force dominating the lives of individuals. ( See Big Brother is watching you .)

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of bureaucracy¹

First recorded in 1810–20; bureau + -cracy, modeled on French bureaucratie

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Much of the agency’s staff were placed on administration leave this week, coming weeks after President Trump signed an executive order aimed at the further “reduction of the federal bureaucracy.”

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As Palisades residents navigate a haze of bureaucracy, Park has become the face of the recovery for many of them.

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By removing layers of bureaucracy before publishing, the team avoids the “analysis paralysis” of other messaging shops, Dorr said.

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The vote was a serious defeat for Bass, who had argued that the changes would result in the creation of yet another bureaucracy, while diverting energy away from efforts to move people indoors.

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County Department of Mental Health, said that while good work is done by many, bureaucracy sabotages innovation and erodes the morale of front-line workers.

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