What Does Bureaucratic Mean?

The word "bureaucratic" means "administrative". A person who devotes his or her work to bureaucracy or whose work includes administrative procedure is called a bureaucrat.  Often the word relates to a government employee who follows a specific and inflexible process in overseeing the designation allotted to him.  To abide by a set of rules, procedures and paperwork with a formal approach is described as being bureaucratic.

The word is an adjective form of the noun "bureaucrat" or "bureaucracy." The latter is derived from the word bureau which means a workplace and not just merely, a writing desk. Bureau is actually a French word which means "the baize" (a woolen or cotton cloth) used to cover desks. The word came into common usage just before the French Revolution of 1789 and then became famous (or infamous) all around the globe. The Greek suffix kratia means "rule" or "authority." Bureaucracy thus essentially means office rule or the power of the office. A narrow minded person is also loosely called as being "bureaucratic."