English

Noun

bureaugamy ‎(uncountable)

1. marriage (literal or metaphorical) to a bureaucracy
   • The ancient mammalian unit of mother and child has morphed into a "bureaugamy," as single mothers find government assistance a more satisfying partner than a confused male.

     March 29, 1999 review of "The Decline of Males" by Publisher's Weekly

   • If bureaugamy is the marriage of citizen to the bureaucratic state, then what we really have is an arranged marriage shotgun wedding.

     November 15, 2011

   • In 1999 Lionel Tiger coined the word ‘bureaugamy’ to refer to the relationship between officially impoverished mothers of illegitimate children and the government.

     May 5, 2012

Derived terms

• bureaugamous (adjective)