noun
bureau
An office or organization responsible for particular services or information.
The travel bureau provides maps and information for visitors.
Etymology
The cloth name passed to a covered writing desk. From the desk, bureau extended to the office and then the organization conducting its work there.
More examples
- A government bureau collects the employment figures.
- She manages the newspaper's regional bureau.
- Several bureaus shared responsibility for the program.
Forms
bureau · bureaus · bureaux
Similar words
- department
- A division within an organization, while bureau often denotes a specialized office.