refusenik

or re·fus·nik

[ ri-fyooz-nik ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a Soviet citizen, usually Jewish, who was denied permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union.

refusenik

/ rɪˈfjuːznɪk /

noun

1. (formerly) a Jew in the Soviet Union who had been refused permission to emigrate
2. a person who refuses to cooperate with a system or comply with a law because of a moral conviction

Word History and Origins

Origin of refusenik¹

1970–75; refuse ¹ + -nik, perhaps translation of Russian otkáznik (unless the Russ word is itself a translation of refusenik )

Word History and Origins

Origin of refusenik¹

C20: from refuse ¹+ -nik

Example Sentences

After his 1978 Nobel Prize acceptance speech in Stockholm, he flew directly to Moscow to give a lecture about his findings to a group of refusenik scientists.

From New York Times

“If you don’t like something, if you refuse to do something, you’re considered a refusenik,” he told AP.

From Seattle Times

The Professor never thought he’d be a refusenik one day too.

From Seattle Times

For the near term, if pilots don’t show up for training or service, strikes on Syria might be delayed or in the case of the refusenik air force ground personnel, need to be reorganized, Shafran Gittleman said.

From Washington Times

For the near term, if pilots don’t show up for training or service, strikes on Syria might be delayed or in the case of the refusenik air force ground personnel, need to be reorganized, Shafran Gittleman said.

From Seattle Times