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bureaucracy

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bureaucracy

Main Entry:: bu·reau·cra·cy
Pronunciation:: \byu̇-ˈrä-krə-sē, byə-, byər-ˈä-\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural bu·reau·cra·cies
Etymology:: French bureaucratie, from bureau + -cratie -cracy
Date:: 1818

1 a: a body of nonelective government officials b: an administrative policy-making group2: government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority3: a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation

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