Standard Lemma guide

nomenklatura

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /nɒˌmɛnkləˈtjʊəɹə/
  • UK: /nɒˌmɛnkləˈtʃʊəɹə/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: N OW0 M EH2 NG K L AH0 CH UH1 R AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A list of bureaucratic posts in government and industry in the former Soviet Union and other communist countries, filled by those appointed by the Party.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The people on such lists; (by extension), any privileged class, a social or political elite.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: collective

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the system of patronage in communist countries; controlled by committees in the Communist Party

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: patronage

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian номенклату́ра (nomenklatúra), from Latin nōmenclātūra (“a calling by name, list of names”), from nomen (“name”) + calare (“call”). Doublet of nomenclature.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: nomenklatuura — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • French: nomenklatura — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Greek: νομενκλατούρα (nomenklatoúra) — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Italian: nomenklatura — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Marathi: नोमेनक्लातुरा (nomenklāturā) — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Polish: nomenklatura — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Portuguese: nomenclatura — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Russian: номенклату́ра (nomenklatúra) — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Serbo-Croatian: номенклату́ра — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Serbo-Croatian: nomenklatúra — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Swedish: nomenklatura — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • Ukrainian: номенклату́ра (nomenklatúra) — list of posts in Soviet Union
  • French: nomenklature — a social or political elite class
  • Marathi: नोमेनक्लातुरा (nomenklāturā) — a social or political elite class