Bureau

Bureau is a term with several related meanings in furniture and administration. The word comes from French, where bureau means a desk or office.

In furniture, a bureau is a piece that combines a writing surface with storage. It commonly takes the form of a tall chest of drawers or a desk with a hinged front that folds down to reveal a writing surface and compartments. Variants include the slant-front bureau, where the writing surface drops down, and the flat-topped bureau plat. Bureaus have been produced since the 18th century and remain common in antique collections and traditional interiors.

In government and administration, a bureau refers to a division or agency within a department that handles a specific function. Bureaus are common in many countries and can operate at local, regional, or national levels. Examples include the U.S. Census Bureau, which conducts population and housing statistics, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Justice. In India, the Central Bureau of Investigation serves as a nationwide investigative agency. The term is also used in broader organizational contexts to denote regional offices or units with defined mandates.

Other uses include journalism and diplomacy, where a bureau describes a representative office or desk for reporting on a particular region, such as a news bureau, or a press bureau. In retail and travel, a bureau de change denotes a currency exchange office. Overall, bureau denotes either a physical furniture piece or an organizational unit with a defined function.