bureaucracy
a system of government or organization characterized by complex rules and a rigid hierarchy
Word origin: From French bureau (desk, office) plus Greek -kratia (rule).
Bureaucracy in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing bureaucracy in a sentence.
The small business owner found herself lost in the bureaucracy required to obtain a single permit.
Approving a single grant required navigating a bureaucracy of three committees and five signatures.
None listed.
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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
Modern editors have softened many passages that earlier audiences accepted without protest, finding blank what their grandparents had regarded as merely robust and good-humored.
Using “bureaucracy” well
Bureaucracy often carries a negative connotation of rigid, slow procedure, though it can neutrally name an administrative system. Context determines the tone.
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lacking originality and so dull or commonplace
Questions about “bureaucracy”
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