Bureaucratic describes the way large organizations, especially government offices, operate through complicated systems of rules, forms, and procedures. When something is bureaucratic, it involves lots of paperwork, many steps, and often feels frustratingly slow.

Imagine needing a simple permission slip signed, but first you have to fill out three forms, get approval from two different teachers, wait for the principal's signature, then return everything to the office by Thursday before 3 PM, only to discover you used the wrong color ink and have to start over. That's bureaucratic.

Bureaucracy is the system itself: all those departments, officials, and rules that keep large organizations running. Schools have bureaucracies. Hospitals do too. So do departments of motor vehicles, which are famously bureaucratic. While some rules and organization are necessary when coordinating thousands of people, bureaucratic processes can become so tangled that they get in the way of actually helping anyone.

When people complain about something being too bureaucratic, they usually mean it's become needlessly complicated. A simple request gets lost in red tape and regulations. The opposite might be streamlined or efficient: getting things done with clear, simple steps.