WORD OF THE DAY: APPARATCHIK
noun | ah-puh-RAH-chik
What It Means
Apparatchik is used disapprovingly to refer to a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organisation, such as a corporation or political party.
// This generation of graduates wants more out of life than to become establishment apparatchiks.
Examples of APPARATCHIK
“Played by What We Do in the Shadows’ Matt Berry, Shazbor is a faithful party apparatchik and staunch defender of his country’s traditions …” — Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2025.
Did You Know?
The apparat in apparatchik (a term English speakers borrowed from Russian) essentially means “party machine,” with machine referring to a highly organised political group under the leadership of a boss or small group of individuals: apparatchik originally referred to someone functioning as a cog in the system of the Communist Party. The term is not a flattering one, and its negative connotations reflect the perception of some Communists as 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; they just have to be someone who mindlessly follows orders in an organization or bureaucracy.
Merriam Webster Dictionary
