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Showing results for bureaucratic. Search instead for unbureaucratic.
Definitions

bureaucratic

[byoor-uh-krat-ik] / ˌbyʊər əˈkræt ɪk /
ADJECTIVE
administrative
Synonyms
STRONGEST
departmental governmental legislative managerial organizational policy-making regulatory supervisory
WEAK
authoritative central commanding controlling deciding decisive directing directive directorial executive governing in charge in control jurisdictional official presiding regulative ruling superintending supervising
ADJECTIVE
authoritative
Synonyms
WEAK
administrative approved canonical departmental ex cathedra ex officio executive imperial lawful legal legitimate magisterial mandatory ruling sanctioned sovereign supreme
ADJECTIVE
governmental
Synonyms
STRONGEST
administrative gubernatorial legal legislative presidential regulatory supervisory
WEAK
executive magisterial official sovereign
ADJECTIVE
impersonal
Synonyms
STRONGEST
abstract detached indifferent remote
WEAK
businesslike candid cold turkey cold-blooded colorless cool disinterested dispassionate emotionless equal equitable fair formal impartial inhuman neutral nondiscriminatory objective poker-faced straight strictly business unbiased uncolored unpassioned
Antonyms
STRONGEST
compassionate interested sympathetic
WEAK
friendly informal personable personal warm
ADJECTIVE
managerial
Synonyms
STRONGEST
commanding directorial governmental legislative ministerial organizational policy-making regulatory supervisory
WEAK
authoritative central controlling deciding decisive departmental directing directive executive governing in charge in control jurisdictional official presiding regulative ruling superintending supervising
ADJECTIVE
political
Synonyms
WEAK
civic constitutional economical legislative official
ADJECTIVE
supervisory
Synonyms
STRONGEST
departmental governmental legislative managerial ministerial organizational policy-making regulatory
WEAK
authoritative central commanding controlling deciding decisive directing directive directorial executive governing in charge in control jurisdictional official presiding regulative ruling superintending supervising

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Deported not to their homelands but to unfamiliar cities deep inside Mexico, thousands of migrants are stranded in a dangerous, bureaucratic limbo with little support and no clear path forward.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

In an earlier post, he blamed "bureaucratic problems" for holding up his plans to modernise the armed forces' equipment and their aircraft.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Others described the bill as a form of "medical gatekeeping", arguing that added bureaucratic layers could leave many people without legal recognition or essential services.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Michael’s job included convincing big, bureaucratic companies such as FedEx and AT&T to partner with a startup, said David Weiden, a founding partner at Khosla Ventures who attended Harvard with Michael and remains a friend.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The plan amounted to a bureaucratic end run around Brown.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.