In former communist countries, the nomenklatura were the people the Communist Party approved of and appointed to positions of authority.
nomenklatura in British English
(ˌnəʊmɛnkləˈtʃuːrə)
noun
(formerly, in the USSR and E Europe) a list of individuals drawn up by the Communist Party from which were selected candidates for vacant senior positions in the state, party, and other important organizations
Word origin
C20: Russian, from Latin nōmenclātūra list of names
nomenklatura in American English
(ˌnoʊmənklɑˈtʊrə)
Russian
noun
1.
the ruling, bureaucratic elite of the former Soviet Union, made up of members of the Communist Party who were chosen by the party to hold positions of leadership and privilege in government and industry
2.
any similar ruling elite
Word origin
Russ, a listing of positions to be filled < L nomenclatura: see nomenclator
Examples of 'nomenklatura' in a sentence
nomenklatura
Members of the nomenklatura lived in a style reminiscent of American tycoons.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)