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- Dictionaryred tape/ˌrɛd ˈteɪp/
noun
- 1. excessive bureaucracy or adherence to official rules and formalities: "this law will just create more red tape"
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RED TAPE definition: 1. official rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay results: 2. official rules and…. Learn more.
The meaning of RED TAPE is official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction. How to use red tape in a sentence.
"Red tape" refers to excessive or rigid regulations and bureaucracy that hinder decision-making and slow down processes, often seen in governments, corporations, and large organizations. Examples include extensive paperwork, multiple approval layers, and complex rules that complicate tasks.
You refer to official rules and procedures as red tape when they seem unnecessary and cause delay.
Use the phrase red tape when you're talking about something that takes much longer than it should and involves more procedures, forms, or rules than make sense. Applying for a passport or a driver's licence is well known for the amount of red tape involved.
Definition of red tape noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
You refer to official rules and procedures as red tape when they seem unnecessary and cause delay. The little money that was available was tied up in bureaucratic red tape. American English : red tape / rɛd ˈteɪp /
What does the noun red tape mean? There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun red tape . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to governments, corporations, and other large organizations.
red tape. n. The collection or sequence of forms and procedures required to gain bureaucratic approval for something, especially when oppressively complex and time-consuming. [From its former use in tying British official documents.]
