Bolshevism

[ bohl-shuh-viz-uhm, bol- ]

noun

1. the doctrines, methods, or procedure of the Bolsheviks.
2. (sometimes lowercase) the principles or practices of ultraradical socialists or political ultraradicals generally.

Other Words From

• an·ti-Bol·she·vism noun
• non-Bol·she·vism noun
• pro-Bol·she·vism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bolshevism¹

First recorded in 1915–20; Bolshev(ik) + -ism

Example Sentences

"But nonetheless, he turned very much against the Church, embraced secular life, rejected God and embraced Bolshevism and Marxism."

From BBC

Teresa and her playmates are obsessed with the prophecies of Our Lady of Fátima, received by three country children in visions that coincided with the triumph of Russian Bolshevism.

From New York Times

The Fair Labor Standards Act, which established the minimum wage, "is a step in the direction of communism, Bolshevism, fascism and Nazism."

From Salon

“In an empire that was breaking apart, and a system of censorship that was breaking apart, and after 70 years of Bolshevism and 1,000 years of autocracy, people were dying to tell their stories. If you wanted to be in the paper five times a day, you could. It was only a question of how much energy you had.”

From New York Times

Those groups have falsely tried to cast the proposed regulations as “a kind of Bolshevism” and Big Government solution, Vance said, adding that it was funny to hear that from an industry that recently begged Congress to block a rail strike.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• socialism