Definition

1. Noun:
   • Needlessly time-consuming procedure: "Red tape" refers to excessive bureaucracy or rigid adherence to official rules and formalities, especially in public business, that causes delay and frustration.

Usage

• "Red tape" is an uncountable noun. It describes the collective, abstract concept of bureaucratic obstacles, not a single procedure.
• It is typically used in contexts involving government, administration, or large organizations.
• It carries a negative connotation, implying that the procedures are inefficient and obstructive.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Cutting through the red tape to get a building permit took months.
  • The new law aims to reduce the red tape for small businesses.
  • Entrepreneurs often complain about the red tape involved in starting a company.

Advanced Usage

• "To be tied up in/bogged down by red tape": to be delayed or hindered by bureaucratic procedures.
  • The humanitarian aid was bogged down in red tape at the border.
• "To cut through/eliminate red tape": to reduce or remove bureaucratic obstacles.
  • The mayor promised to cut through the red tape at city hall.

Variants and Related Words

• Bureaucracy (n): A system of government or management with many departments and complex procedures. (Often used synonymously with "red tape," though "bureaucracy" can be a neutral term for the administrative system itself.)
• Formality (n): A procedure that is required by custom or rule. (A single instance, whereas "red tape" implies an accumulation of such procedures.)
• Officialdom (n): The officials in an organization or government, collectively, often viewed as bureaucratic.

Synonyms

• Bureaucratic delay: Delay caused by administrative systems.
• Paperwork: The routine work of writing documents and forms, often seen as a component of red tape.
• Administrative holdup: A delay caused by administrative processes.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• A maze of red tape: An extremely complex and confusing set of bureaucratic rules.
  • Navigating the visa application was like finding a way through a maze of red tape.
• Red-tape mentality: An attitude or mindset focused on following rules and procedures above all else, often at the expense of efficiency or common sense.

Noun

1. needlessly time-consuming procedure