bureaucracy
nounUK /bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi/
US /bjʊˈrɑːkrəsi/
A big group of people who make and follow lots of rules to run a place.
The new school rules got stuck in bureaucracy before anyone could use them.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The officials who run a government or organization, seen as a group.
The bureaucracy resisted the quick changes the mayor wanted.
3. A system where many decisions must pass through many offices and steps.
Getting a permit took weeks because of the city's bureaucracy.
4. Too much focus on rules and forms instead of getting things done.
Teachers complained about the bureaucracy that filled their days with forms.