Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Who coined the French term bureaucratie in the 18th century?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
bureaucracy
Max Weber, 1918.
The French term bureaucratie was coined in the mid-18th century by the French philosophe Vincent de Gournay.1
The term is derived from the French word bureau, meaning "writing desk," and the suffix -cratie, meaning "government".12