A system or practice where authority is exercised by appointed officials following strict rules, often with little flexibility or personal judgment.
From functionary plus the suffix -ism (a system or ideology). This is a relatively rare term reflecting criticism of bureaucratic rule-bound governance.
This word is a handy insult in political discourse—it captures everything critics dislike about 'the system' where faceless bureaucrats follow procedures rather than solving real problems.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.