Cyrillic

American  

[si-ril-ik] / sɪˈrɪl ɪk /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a script derived from Greek uncials and traditionally supposed to have been invented by St. Cyril, first used for the writing of Old Church Slavonic and adopted with minor modifications for the writing of Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, and some non-Slavic languages of Central Asia.

2. of or relating to St. Cyril.

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noun

1. Cyrillic script.

Cyrillic British  

/ sɪˈrɪlɪk /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to the alphabet derived from that of the Greeks, supposedly by Saint Cyril, for the writing of Slavonic languages: now used primarily for Russian, Bulgarian, and Serbian

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noun

1. this alphabet

Etymology

Origin of Cyrillic

1835–45; < New Latin Cyrillicus, equivalent to Cyrill ( us ) Saint Cyril + -icus -ic

Example Sentences

In one administrative building, old Russian logos are being replaced -- however some posters and instructions in Cyrillic script remain.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

We saw fragments of that missile, now being collected as evidence: mangled metal pieces, some with Cyrillic lettering on them, gathered in a heap.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

The holidays are past, even the post New Year’s Cyrillic parties we called “Serbian Christmas” growing up in western Pennsylvania are faint memories obscured by rocket booms in Ukraine.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2023

Nearby, another fence bore an inexpertly painted “CCCP,” the Cyrillic acronym for “USSR.”

From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2022

When a spectator from Moscow asked for an autograph, Bobby signed it using the Russian Cyrillic alphabet, needing to change only a few letters.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady