bureaucrat
This term carries a strong duality in connotation. In a neutral sense, it describes a professional administrator within a government or corporate hierarchy. However, it is frequently used pejoratively to describe someone who prioritizes rigid adherence to rules and red tape over common sense or human needs. Because the word is a standard countable noun, it follows regular pluralization patterns. It does not possess the irregular properties of collective nouns or mass nouns, meaning it is used with standard articles and numeric modifiers.
Meanings
An official in a government department, especially one perceived as being overly concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of efficiency.
"The new law was delayed for months by a stubborn bureaucrat who insisted on every form being signed in triplicate."
A person who works in the administration of a large organization or government agency.
"She spent twenty years as a career bureaucrat within the Ministry of Finance."