:a series of actions or complicated tasks that seem unnecessary but that a government or organization requires you to do in order to get or do something繁文缛节;官样文章
bureaucratic red tape官僚主义的繁文缛节
You would not believe the red tape involved in getting the required permits.你无法相信要取得相应的许可会涉及多少烦琐程序。
: official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction
bureaucratic red tape
… enterprisers that show how people across the Nation are coping (or not coping) with such problems as unemployment, the budget deficit and Government red tape. John Weisman
… pompous officials (often lowly clerks) in love with red tape who delight in obstructing the expedition of what should be simple procedures. Norman W. Schur
Initial plans became irretrievably mired in the red tape of building permissions. Bella Pollen
Their plan is simple enough and none too glamorous: create a Web site to help people cut through red tape; i.e., pay for parking tickets and so on. Sarah Kerr
Example Sentences
You would not believe the red tape involved in getting the required permits.
Recent Examples on the WebThe grants are easy to apply for without a lot of red tape. Pam Mcloughlin, Hartford Courant, 10 Sep. 2022 The trip is fraught with shady smugglers and a tangle of bureaucratic red tape that threatens a reunion with the rest of their family members while awaiting approval of their own asylum. Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2022 My difficulties with finding affordable and quality child care while in college have only been helped by being connected with people who assisted me in navigating through various systems and red tape. Bryony Hearn, Essence, 30 Aug. 2022 An advance on funding and less red tape around construction may help. Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, 26 Aug. 2022 California’s cannabis taxes come on top of licensing fees and regulatory permits, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars annually for growers, burying those who used to work without regulation in red tape and state invoices. Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2022 California’s cannabis taxes come on top of licensing fees and regulatory permits, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars annually for growers, burying those who used to work without regulation in red tape and state invoices. Scott Wilson, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2022 Bureaucratic red tape and a lack of infrastructure to accommodate private boats have kept Hong Kong, boasting one of Asia’s most exciting waterfronts, stuck in yachting’s doldrums. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2022 The state of emergency declaration from Newsom’s office will help cut red tape and speed resources to the region, including potentially from other states. Danielle Echeverria, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
from the red tape formerly used to bind legal documents in England