bureaucracy
noun
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The Roots of Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy was borrowed from the French bureaucratie, which itself was formed by combining bureau (“desk”) and -cratie (a suffix denoting a kind of government). The English word can refer to an entire body of unelected government officials or to the problematic system (often filled with red tape) that may result from administration by bureaucrats. From its earliest appearances, bureaucracy has carried a distinctly negative connotation. An 1815 London Times article, for example, declares: “. . . it is in this bureaucracy, Gentlemen, that you will find the invisible and mischievous power which thwarts the most noble views, and prevents or weakens the effect of all the salutary reforms which France is incessantly calling for.”
Example Sentences
Jennet Conant, Tuxedo Park, 2002 In recent books and articles a small but outspoken chorus of former CIA case officers has portrayed the once proudly swashbuckling agency as a timid, politically correct bureaucracy, overly concerned with being held to account by the press and Capitol Hill. Evan Thomas, Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2002 Proving that even lumbering federal bureaucracies can move quickly when they have to, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week took advantage of Congress' extended holiday break to introduce its long-awaited—and, perhaps, long-dreaded—ergonomic standards. Editor & Publisher, 27 Nov. 1999 She was fed up with all the red tape and bureaucracy. Both candidates pledge to simplify the state's bloated bureaucracy. Renata Cló, The Arizona Republic, 14 Sep. 2022 Concerns expressed Monday by more than a dozen citizens who spoke at the meeting ranged from the lack of public accountability for the city manager to a new level of bureaucracy to protecting the elite status of Madison City Schools. Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2022 People attempting to exercise their right to shelter face a maze of bureaucracy and potentially dangerous living conditions. Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2022 Mounting bureaucracy is one of the best ways to ensure people stay put. Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 In places with stronger protections, bureaucracy may be part of why the tsunami didn’t hit when expected. Bryce Covert, The New Republic, 5 July 2022 Organizer Ty Bellamy said the bureaucracy is frustrating and untenable. Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Mar. 2022 Once the bureaucracy was out of the way, there were still the logistics on the ground. Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2022 Some governments were stymied by bureaucracy—there was money in their budgets for disaster response but not for preventive work. Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 25 June 2022 See More Word History
borrowed from French bureaucratie, from bureau bureau + -cratie -cracy
1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1a