Bolshevik

noun

Bol·​she·​vik ˈbōl-shə-ˌvik How to pronounce Bolshevik (audio)
ˈbȯl-,
ˈbäl-,
-ˌvēk How to pronounce Bolshevik (audio)
plural Bolsheviks also Bolsheviki ˌbōl-shə-ˈvi-kē How to pronounce Bolshevik (audio)
ˌbȯl-,
ˌbäl-,
-ˈvē-kē
1
: a member of the extremist wing of the Russian Social Democratic party that seized power in Russia by the Revolution of November 1917
2
Bolshevik adjective

Examples of Bolshevik in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This episode, too, touched upon my family: in 1918, my father, a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, boarded a gunboat on its way to join American, French, and other Allied contingents to fight against Bolshevik forces in Murmansk, one of the towns featured in Taub’s piece. The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 In it, McGregor plays Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, an aristocrat who, after returning to Russia from Paris following the October Revolution, is sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal and spends decades in an attic hotel room. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2024 In 1917, after years of living in exile, Bolshevik leaders returned home. Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2024 This would not be the first time the Pets have gone Bolshevik and made unacceptable political challenges. Armond White, National Review, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Bolshevik 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Bolshevik.' 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 bol'shevik, from bol'shiĭ greater

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Bolshevik was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near Bolshevik

Cite this Entry

“Bolshevik.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bolshevik. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

Bolshevik

noun
Bol·​she·​vik ˈbōl-shə-ˌvik How to pronounce Bolshevik (audio) ˈbȯl- How to pronounce Bolshevik (audio)
ˈbäl-,
-ˌvēk
plural Bolsheviks or Bolsheviki ˌbōl-shə-ˈvik-ē How to pronounce Bolshevik (audio)
ˌbȯl-,
ˌbäl-,
-ˈvē-kē
1
: a member of the communist party that seized power in Russia by the Revolution of November 1917
2
Bolshevik adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Bolshevik

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