petty official; low-ranking bureaucrat
A somewhat literary or formal term for a minor government official, often with a nuance of being narrow-minded or overly bureaucratic.
He is nothing more than a petty official, but he throws his weight around at the office.
Not a few citizens are irritated by the responses of petty officials.
Compound of 俗 (vulgar, worldly) and 吏 (official, clerk). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has long been used to refer disparagingly to minor officials.