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.

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apparat British  

/ ˌæpəˈrɑːt /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of apparat

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

Example Sentences

The security apparat would weary of the task.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

The sprawling apparat of agents who carried out Saddam's repressions--maybe 5,000 in the various special security services--would be purged.

From Time Magazine Archive

If there was any doubt in anybody's mind that the great Kremlin apparat has ganged up to brand Tito once again as a dangerous heretic, that doubt vanished last week.

From Time Magazine Archive

Otto Latsis, a Moscow political commentator, says Zyuganov heads "the worst part of the old party apparat, the most reactionary fringe."

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 Sterling, Bruce