[bu.reau.cra.cy] n, pl -cies [F bureaucratie, fr. bureau + -cratie -cracy] (1818) 1 a: a body of nonelective government officials b: an administrative policy-making group
2: government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority
3: a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation