gulag

noun

gu·​lag ˈgü-ˌläg 

variants often Gulag

: the penal system of the Soviet Union consisting of a network of labor camps

also : labor camp sense 1

Examples of gulag in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stalin sent millions to the gulags, where many of them died from disease. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 26 Dec. 2025

The door locks sound like something out of a 1970s gulag. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026

Many thousands of scientists were killed or sent to the gulag, where a significant percentage died. — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Stalin was also targeting Polish Catholics, and thousands of these prisoners also survived the gulag. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Russian, from Glavnoe upravlenie ispravitel'notrudovykh lagereĭ chief administration of corrective labor camps

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above