51Թ

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red tape

noun

  1. excessive formality and routine required before official action can be taken.


red tape

noun

  1. obstructive official routine or procedure; time-consuming bureaucracy
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

red tape

1
  1. Bureaucratic procedures that delay progress: “Paula had hoped to settle the inheritance quickly but got caught up in a lot of red tape.”

red tape

2
  1. Administrative procedures, especially in a bureaucracy , that are marked by complexity and delay: “Red tape delayed his passport.”
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • ti noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of red tape1

First recorded in 1730–40; after the red tape used to tie official documents
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of red tape1

C18: from the red tape used to bind official government documents
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Idioms and Phrases

Official forms and procedures, especially those that are complex and time-consuming. For example, There's so much red tape involved in approving our remodeling that we're tempted to postpone it indefinitely . This expression alludes to the former British custom of tying up official documents with red ribbon. [Early 1800s]
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“It’s micromanagement at its worst, creating more red tape when park staff are already stretched dangerously thin and dealing with peak visitation season,” Brengel said.

From

The White House said adjustments had been made to account for red tape and currency manipulation.

From

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the pilot would ensure the hospitality industry had "the conditions to grow" and was not "tied down by unnecessarily burdensome red tape".

From

Ministers are pushing their "agenda for growth" at every opportunity, calling for red tape to be cut to pave the way for investment.

From

We were promised lower bills, better infrastructure, less red tape and investment in a system fraying at the edges.

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Related 51Թs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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