apparatchik

[ ah-puh-rah-chik; Russian uh-puh-raht-chyik ]

noun

, plural ap·pa·rat·chiks; Russian ap·pa·rat·chi·ki [uh-puh-, raht, -chyi-kyee].

1. a member of an apparat, especially in a Communist country.

apparatchik

/ ˌæpəˈrɑːtʃɪk /

noun

1. a member of a Communist apparat
2. an official or bureaucrat in any organization

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparatchik¹

1940–45; < Russian apparátchik, equivalent to apparát apparat + -chik agent suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of apparatchik¹

C20 from Russian, from apparat apparatus, instrument + -ckik , suffix denoting agent

Example Sentences

The rumor among the apparatchik was that Faulconer only attached himself to the No on Prop.

From Voice of San Diego

Two years ago, a Party apparatchik surveyed the site of a fatal traffic accident… with a smile on his face.

From The Daily Beast

Rivals tagged her an apparatchik, an heiress, handpicked by a mayor/mentor said to nickname her “ma petite Anne,” my little Anne.

From The Daily Beast

A Rockefeller Republican-turned-Reaganite, Newt aspired to be a back-room apparatchik rather than a demagogue.

From The Daily Beast