Meanings
nounred-tapism (plural red-tapisms)
plural red-tapisms
- derogatoryA strict adherence to official formalities.
Red-tapism is the biggest defect of bureaucracy. In a bureaucratic set-up, the files and papers move at a snail's pace and it takes inordinately long time to reach any decision on any matter.
2004, Ram Nath Sharma, S. S. Chandra, Advanced Industrial Psychology, volume 1, page 110Synonyms: tapism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA strict adherence to official formalities.
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Also see
Origin
From red tape + -ism or red + tapism.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch paarse krokodil
- paarse krokodilTranslations
German Paragraphenreiterei
- ParagraphenreitereiTranslations
Hindi लालफ़ीताशाही
- लालफ़ीताशाही (lālfītāśāhī)Translations
Polish biuralizm, biurokracja
- biuralizmTranslations
- biurokracjaTranslations
- biurokratyzmTranslations
Cite this entry
APA
red-tapism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red-tapism
MLA
“red-tapism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red-tapism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “red-tapism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red-tapism.
Source: red-tapism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.