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apparat

American  
[ap-uh-rat, ah-puh-raht] / ˌæp əˈræt, ˌɑ pəˈrɑt /

noun

  1. an organization or existing power structure, especially a political one.

    a position of leadership within the party apparat; The chess apparat is not eager to change tournament rules.


apparat British  
/ ˌæpəˈrɑːt /

noun

  1. the Communist Party organization in the former Soviet Union and other states

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of apparat

1940–45; < Russian apparát originally, scientific apparatus < German < Latin apparātus. See apparatus

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The security apparat would weary of the task.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 18, 2025

Partly because of his clashes with the party apparat, Yeltsin became known as a maverick while running the Moscow party committee: he was outspoken, impetuous and disdainful of authority.

From Time Magazine Archive

While both are considered supporters of perestroika, they are also veteran members of the party apparat, come from the same ideological mold as the men they replaced and give no hint of brilliance.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is clear now to thoughtful members of the literary apparat that a critic who praises an Iron Curtain writer does so at considerable risk to his reputation as a subtle fellow.

From Time Magazine Archive

The United States Secret Service doesn't mess around when it suspects a possible action by a foreign intelligence apparat.

From The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier by Bruce Sterling

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