soviet

1 of 2

noun

so·​vi·​et ˈsō-vē-ˌet How to pronounce soviet (audio)
ˈsä-,
-vē-ət
1
: an elected governmental council in a Communist country
2
Soviets plural
b
: the people and especially the political and military leaders of the Soviet Union
sovietism noun often capitalized

Soviet

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Soviet Union or its people
Soviet history/policy
a Soviet spy
Soviet dissidents

Examples of soviet in a Sentence

Noun disputes between Americans and Soviets The plan was opposed by the Soviets.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In September, the United States responded by expelling 25 Soviets from their UN mission in New York, and the next month, another 55 from the Soviet embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco. Daniel Fried, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2018 Only in the latter half of its 44-year run fighting Soviets and protecting popes has the G-class served as a glorified Rodeo Drive shopping cart. Clifford Atiyeh, Car and Driver, 16 Aug. 2023 Obviously if the Democratic presidential candidate were to suddenly start calling for dissolving Congress in favor of decentralized rule by workers’ soviets, that would probably hurt them. Dylan Matthews, Vox, 18 July 2018 This cultural tendency produced little soviets in the factories and barracks, which came together in a big Soviet in Petrograd; and suddenly The People, stomped-down for centuries, emerged as a living entity. Olga Ingurazova, Smithsonian, 29 Sep. 2017
Adjective
Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, Putin, 71, is extending his nearly quarter-century rule into a fifth term at a time when his troops are on the offensive in Ukraine. Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024 There is no great strategy or vision; unlike the ideology of the Soviet period, Putinism offers no sweeping values against which particular actions or policies can be measured. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2024 Vladimir Putin, 71, Russia's longest serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, will almost certainly emerge victorious in the nation's eighth presidential election. Kim Hjelmgaard and Anna Nemtsova, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Unlike the former Soviet regime, Mr. Putin’s government leaves the door open for those who are dissatisfied to go. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2024 That may not seem an urgent matter for the man who is now Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin: Back in 2020, Russian voters endorsed constitutional changes that would allow Putin to stay in power until 2036. Nathan Hodge, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Nearly one million Jews and more than 110,000 Roma, Poles, and Soviet prisoners of war were murdered here between 1940 and 1945. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 Then in 1984, at a particularly bad juncture of the Cold War, the USSR and its allies decided to boycott the Los Angeles Olympics to prevent their athletes from being targeted for political condemnation over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2024 Sanctions on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine have posed challenges for uranium shipments en route from Kazakhstan, since the former Soviet state’s exports typically pass through Russian ports. Jacob Lorinc, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soviet.' 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

Noun

Russian sovet council, soviet

First Known Use

Noun

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soviet was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near soviet

Cite this Entry

“Soviet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soviet. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

soviet

noun
so·​vi·​et ˈsōv-ē-ˌet How to pronounce soviet (audio)
ˈsäv-,
-ē-ət
1
a
: an elected governing council in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
2
plural capitalized : the people and especially the political and military leaders of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
soviet adjective often capitalized
Etymology

Noun

from Russian sovet "council"

More from Merriam-Webster on soviet

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