KGB

American  

Or K.G.B.

1. the intelligence and internal-security agency of the former Soviet Union, organized in 1954 and responsible for enforcement of security regulations, protection of political leaders, the guarding of borders, and clandestine operations abroad.

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KGB British  

abbreviation

1. the former Soviet secret police, founded in 1954 Compare GRU

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KGB Cultural  

1. The secret police of the former Soviet Union.

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Etymology

Origin of KGB

< Russian, for K ( omitét ) g ( osudárstvennoĭ ) b ( ezopásnosti ) Committee for State Security

Example Sentences

Two embassy wives, played by Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, embrace their Person of No Interest status to take on the KGB as spies in Peacock’s sparky, soulful series.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

Twila charges in headfirst without concern for the consequences, whether it’s setting a bar on fire to escape the notice of KGB or brazenly approaching Russian sources.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

Seeking money to pay debts, Ames said he began providing the KGB with the names of CIA spies in April 1985, receiving an initial payment of $50,000.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

Putin, a former KGB agent, became the president of Russia after Boris Yeltsin stepped down in December 1999.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

During these early months of her Moscow assignment, Marti knew that her fellow CIA agents could not truly accept that the KGB hadn't noticed her.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau