babudom
|ba-bu-dom|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɑːbuˌdəm/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɑːbuˌdɒm/
rule by officials
Etymology
'babudom' is formed from 'babu' (a term borrowed into English from Hindi/Urdu) + the English suffix '-dom' (from Old English 'dōm' meaning 'state, condition').
'babu' entered English in the 19th century during British rule in India as a form of address for a gentleman or clerk; it later came to mean a native clerk or official. The suffix '-dom' (Old English 'dōm') was attached to create 'babudom' to denote the condition or domain of the 'babu'.
Originally 'babu' was a respectful form of address (akin to 'sir' or 'father') and later denoted a clerk or local official; 'babudom' developed to mean the rule or influence of such officials and now commonly carries a critical sense of bureaucratic pedantry.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state, condition, or dominance of 'babu(s)' — i.e., rule or influence exercised by government clerks or petty officials (often implying pedantry and conservatism).
The proposed changes were stifled by babudom at the ministry.
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Noun 2
a derogatory label for bureaucratic culture or attitudes — excessive adherence to rules, formalities, and routine by low- or mid-level officials.
Journalists criticized the project's delay as a result of babudom rather than policy debate.
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Last updated: 2025/12/24 04:04