Bolshevik

or bol·she·vik

[ bohl-shuh-vik, bol-; Russian buhl-shi-vyeek ]

noun

, plural Bol·she·viks, Bol·she·vik·i [bohl, -sh, uh, -vik-ee, -vee-kee, b, uh, l-shi-vyi-, kyee].

1. (in Russia)
   1. a member of the more radical majority of the Social Democratic Party, 1903–17, advocating immediate and forceful seizure of power by the proletariat.
   2. (after 1918) a member of the Russian Communist Party.
2. (loosely) a member of any Communist party.
3. (often lowercase) Disparaging. a contemptuous term used to refer to an extreme radical or revolutionary.

Bolshevik

/ ˈbɒlʃɪvɪk /

noun

1. (formerly) a Russian Communist Compare Menshevik
2. any Communist
3. humorous.
   often not capital any political radical, esp a revolutionary

Derived Forms

• ˈBolsheˌvism, noun
• ˈBolshevist, adjectivenoun
• ˌBolsheˈvistic, adjective

Other Words From

• anti-Bolshe·vik noun adjective
• non-Bolshe·vik noun
• pro-Bolshe·vik adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bolshevik¹

1915–20; < Russian bolʾshevík, equivalent to bólʾsh ( iĭ ) larger, greater (comparative of bolʾshóĭ large; compare bolʾshinstvó majority) + -evik, variant of -ovik noun suffix; Menshevik

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bolshevik¹

C20: from Russian Bol'shevik majority, from bol'shoi great; from the fact that this group formed a majority of the Russian Social Democratic Party in 1903

Example Sentences

After the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Russia was too much of a mess to keep fighting Germany.

From The Daily Beast

But the war came, and from the Bolshevik revolution to the rise of Hitler, the consequences were horrific.

From The Daily Beast

It just doesn't fit with what real people do, in real life, no more than the Bolshevik 'Soviet man' is real.

From The Daily Beast

The vice president of Iran announces that no Jews were killed during the Bolshevik Revolution.

From The Daily Beast

The Bolshevik Revolution stamped out the city's vibrant and multilingual character.

From The Daily Beast

I do not know how things are in America but in England there has been a ridiculous attempt to suppress Bolshevik propaganda.

From Project Gutenberg

I have seen a lot of Bolshevik propaganda and it is not very convincing stuff.

From Project Gutenberg

Witnesses further stated that Bolshevik leaders did not represent Russian working classes, most of them being Jews.

From Project Gutenberg

I know another man, a conservative capitalist of narrow and aggressive temper, whose wife turned into an ardent Bolshevik.

From Project Gutenberg

Now the King knew nothing of revolution, not even the name, and there was not a bolshevik to be found in all his dominions.

From Project Gutenberg