apparatchik

noun

ap·​pa·​rat·​chik ˌä-pə-ˈrä(t)-chik 

plural apparatchiks also apparatchiki ˌä-pə-ˈrä(t)-chi-kē 

1

: a member of a Communist apparat

2

: a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization (such as a corporation or political party)

a movie studio apparatchik

Did you know?

In the context of the definition of "apparatchik" (a term English speakers borrowed from Russian), "apparat" essentially means "party machine." An "apparatchik," therefore, is a cog in the system of the Communist Party. The term is not an especially flattering one, and its negative connotations reflect the perception that some Communists were obedient drones in the great Party machine. In current use, however, a person doesn't have to be a member of the Communist Party to be called an "apparatchik"; he or she just has to be someone who mindlessly follows orders in an organization or bureaucracy.

Examples of apparatchik in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The latest iteration of Venezuela’s long-running crisis began after the head of the National Electoral Council, a Maduro apparatchik, declared him the victor on July 29th, with fifty-one per cent of the vote to forty-four per cent for González. —Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2024

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is a laconic apparatchik who lacks the imagination to deal with complicated situations. —Eric Edelman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2023

Khamenei will decide which hardline apparatchik appears on the ballot to replace him. —Karl Vick, TIME, 23 May 2024

There were several oligarchs who helped Putin rise from a K.G.B. apparatchik in Leningrad to autocrat in the Kremlin. —Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Russian, from apparat

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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