Apparat

/ˌæpəˈrɑːt/ noun

Definition

A complex organizational structure or system, especially a political or governmental bureaucracy; borrowed from Russian meaning 'apparatus'.

Etymology

From Russian 'apparat,' from Latin 'apparatus' (equipment/preparation). Used in English particularly during the Cold War to describe Soviet communist party structures.

Kelly Says

The Russian Communist Party used 'apparat' to describe its massive bureaucratic structure, and Western observers borrowed the term during the Cold War as shorthand for Soviet institutional power.

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