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Answer for the clue "Official bureaucracy ", 8 letters:
red tape

Alternative clues for the word red tape

Word definitions for red tape in dictionaries

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"excessive bureaucratic rigmarole," 1736, in reference to the red tape formerly used in Great Britain (and the American colonies) for binding up legal and other official documents, mentioned from 1690s.

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. 1 The binding tape once used for holding important documents together. 2 (lb en idiomatic) Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. needlessly time-consuming procedure [syn: bureaucratic procedure ]

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Red tape is an idiom that refers to excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making. It is usually applied to governments , corporations , and other ...

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tape \Tape\, n. [AS. t[ae]ppe a fillet. Cf. Tapestry , Tippet .] A narrow fillet or band of cotton or linen; a narrow woven fabric used for strings and the like; as, curtains tied with tape. A tapeline; also, a metallic ribbon so marked as to serve as a ...

Usage examples of red tape.

Plod are so busy working their paper or playing Twister with rolls of red tape that wankers like Mick have free rein to bash the vulnerable and frighten the horses.

He was deep inside himself I guessed that he was looking at the red tape and rule books that had allowed so many criminals to make their living from the suffering of others and get away with it.