apparat
|ap-par-at|
🇺🇸
/əˈpæræt/
🇬🇧
/əˈpærət/
organized machinery/system
Etymology
'apparat' originates from Russian, specifically the word 'аппарат' (apparát), which itself ultimately derives from Latin 'apparatus' (from the verb 'apparare' meaning 'to prepare' or 'to make ready').
'apparat' passed into English in the 19th–20th century via Russian (and sometimes German 'Apparat') usage; the Latin 'apparatus' gave rise to various Romance and Germanic forms (e.g. French 'appareil', German 'Apparat'), and the modern English political sense was reinforced by the Russian usage.
Initially it referred to 'equipment' or 'that which is prepared' (from Latin 'apparatus'), but over time the term in English has come to be used especially for an administrative or bureaucratic organization (the political/organizational meaning).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the administrative or political organization and system of an institution or party, especially the bureaucratic structure of a state or political party (often used of Communist or highly centralized systems).
The party apparat resisted the grassroots reformers.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
an organized system or complex of operations and personnel responsible for running an organization or function (broader than strictly political use).
Reforms were stalled by the state apparat that preferred the status quo.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/23 09:52