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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ruth also gave up writing, but became more of a bohemian—and more of a Bolshevik. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025 Hundreds of thousands of Russians have left the country since 2022, the largest exodus since the Bolshevik Revolution, further straining the country’s labor force. Frank Holmes, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 National Bolshevik demonstrators had once occupied the tower as Dugin cheered them on in the pages of Limonka. James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025 But in light of recent political developments in the United States, this period piece about a Russian nobleman who survived the Bolshevik Revolution and weathered the Stalin regime in the comfort of Moscow’s finest internation hotel merits a closer look. Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Bolshevik

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bolshevik.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bolshevik. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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