byrokratický

Byrokratický is a Czech adjective meaning related to bureaucracy or characterized by the rules and procedures of a bureaucracy. It is used to describe institutions, processes, or behavior that rely on formal rules, hierarchical structure, and standardized paperwork rather than flexibility or initiative. The term often carries a negative or critical nuance, suggesting excessive red tape or rigid administration, but it can also be neutral when describing genuine bureaucratic features.

The word derives from byrokracie, the Czech noun for bureaucracy, which in turn comes from the French bureaucratie, itself related to the concept of rule by offices and desks (bureau). The morphological pattern uses the common Czech suffix -ický to form masculine adjectives; feminine is byrokratická and neuter byrokratické. Related nouns include byrokracie (bureaucracy), byrokratismus (bureaucratism), and byrokratizace (bureaucratization).

In discourse about public administration, politics, and organizational management, byrokratický commonly appears in phrases such as byrokratická administrativa, byrokratický systém, or byrokratická opatření. It is often contrasted with terms like efektivní, flexibilní, or technokratický to signal desired shifts away from formalism toward efficiency and adaptability.