Phrase guide

red tape

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The binding tape once used for holding important documents together.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, metonymically, uncountable

Examples

  • All the red tape and paperwork that goes on there prevents any progress.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: administrivia, administrativia, paperwork

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

needlessly time-consuming procedure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bureaucratic procedure

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: procedure

History

Etymology

Alluding to the former practice of binding government documents in red-colored tape. First use appears c. 1658 in the publication Public Intelligencer. See cite below.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: rompslomp — excessive bureaucracy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 繁文縟節 /繁文缛节 (fánwénrùjié) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 繁文縟禮 /繁文缛礼 (fánwénrùlǐ) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 官僚習氣 /官僚习气 (guānliáo xíqì) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Czech: úřední šiml — excessive bureaucracy
  • Dutch: paarse krokodil — excessive bureaucracy
  • Finnish: paperisota — excessive bureaucracy
  • French: impôt papier — excessive bureaucracy
  • French: paperasse f paperasserie — excessive bureaucracy
  • German: Amtsschimmel — excessive bureaucracy
  • Hindi: लालफ़ीता (lālfītā) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Japanese: 繁文縟礼 (hanbun jokurei) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Japanese: レッドテープ (reddo teepu) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Japanese: お役所さんの仕事 (o-yakusho-san no shigoto) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Korean: 번문욕례 (beonmunyongnye) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Korean: 레드 테이프 (redeu teipeu) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Persian: کاغذبازی (kâġaz-bâzi) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Polish: biuralizm — excessive bureaucracy
  • Polish: biurokracja — excessive bureaucracy
  • Polish: biurokratyzm — excessive bureaucracy
  • Portuguese: burocracia — excessive bureaucracy
  • Russian: бюрократи́зм (bjurokratízm) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Russian: канцеля́рщина (kanceljárščina) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Russian: волоки́та (volokíta) — excessive bureaucracy
  • Slovak: úradný šimeľ — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: papeleo — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: burocracia — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: cinta roja — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: expedienteo — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: papelerío — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: trámites — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: gestión — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: formalismos — excessive bureaucracy
  • Spanish: formulismos — excessive bureaucracy
  • Swedish: byråkrati — excessive bureaucracy