Definition of 'Soviet'

Word Frequency

Soviet

(soʊviət , sɒv- )

Word forms: plural Soviets

1. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]

Soviet is used to describe something that belonged or related to the former Soviet Union.

...Soviet athletes.

...the former Soviet empire.

2. plural noun

The Soviets were the people of the former Soviet Union.

In 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik 1 into outer space.

3. countable noun

A soviet was an elected local, regional, or national council in the former Soviet Union.

...the supreme soviet.

Word Frequency

soviet in British

(ˈsəʊvɪət , ˈsɒv-)

noun

(in the former Soviet Union) an elected government council at the local, regional, and national levels, which culminated in the Supreme Soviet

(in prerevolutionary Russia) a local revolutionary council

adjective

of or relating to a soviet

Word origin of 'soviet'

C20: from Russian sovyet council, from Old Russian sŭvĕtŭ

Word Frequency

Soviet in British

(ˈsəʊvɪət , ˈsɒv-)

adjective

of, characteristic of, or relating to the former Soviet Union, its people, or its government

Word Frequency

soviet in American

(ˈsoʊviˌɛt ; sōˈvēetˌ; ˈsoʊviɪt ; sōˈvēit; ˌ soʊviˈɛt ; sōˌvēetˈ)

noun

any of the various governing councils that performed executive and legislative functions in the Soviet Union: in structure the soviets formed a pyramid, with the village and town soviets as its base and the Supreme Soviet as its apex

any similar council in a socialist governing system

2. [S-] [pl.]

the government officials or the people of the Soviet Union, Russia, or Uzbekistan

adjective

of a soviet or soviets or government by soviets

4. [S-]

of or connected with the Soviet Union

Word origin of 'soviet'

Russ sovyet, council, advice < s(o)-, together (< IE *kom-: see com-) + -vèt, speak, ult. < IE base *weid-, to see, know, make known > wise1

Trends of 'Soviet'

Used Occasionally. soviet is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'soviet'

Related Terms of 'soviet'

Source

Definition of Soviet from the Collins English Dictionary

Reported speech

Reported speech or indirect speech reports something that was said, but does not use the actual words that the speaker uttered. Lynn asked whether Pippa had been to the new shopping mall. Pippa r...