Main Entry: so·vi·et

Pronunciation: \ˈsō-vē-ˌet, ˈsä-, -vē-ət\

Function: noun

Etymology: Russian sovet council, soviet

Date: 1917

1 : an elected governmental council in a Communist country
2 plural capitalized a : bolsheviks b : the people and especially the political and military leaders of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

— soviet adjective often capitalized

— so·vi·et·ism \-vē-ə-ˌti-zəm\ noun often capitalized