perestroika

noun

per·​e·​stroi·​ka ˌper-ə-ˈstrȯi-kə How to pronounce perestroika (audio)
: the policy of economic and governmental reform instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union during the mid-1980s

Examples of perestroika in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Whether or not a new perestroika is dawning, Russia’s leaders must outgrow power politics and recognize that force can’t secure their position either at home or abroad. Konstantin Dobrynin, WSJ, 14 Jan. 2019 The revelation of scandals so demeaning to the security establishment indicates an erosion of state power of the sort that preceded the last perestroika. Konstantin Dobrynin, WSJ, 14 Jan. 2019 Rather than policing the boundaries of respectable opinion, which are much narrower than the actual debates taking place, Times could use an ideological perestroika: to truly open itself up the breadth of opinion in America. Jeet Heer, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2018 Democratization is out of the question: perestroika and glasnost are Putin’s nightmares. Leon Aron, National Review, 16 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perestroika.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Russian perestroĭka, literally, restructuring

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perestroika was in 1986

Dictionary Entries Near perestroika

Cite this Entry

“Perestroika.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perestroika. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on perestroika

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!