oblast

[ ob-last, -lahst; Russian aw-bluhst ]

noun

, plural o·blasts, Russian o·bla·sti [aw, -bl, uh, -styee].

1. (in Russia and the Soviet Union) an administrative division corresponding to an autonomous province.
2. region; province.

oblast

/ ˈɒblɑːst /

noun

1. an administrative division of the constituent republics of Russia
2. an administrative and territorial division in some republics of the former Soviet Union

Word History and Origins

Origin of oblast¹

1885–90; < Russian óblast', Old Russian oblastĭ, equivalent to ob- against, on + vlastĭ authority, power; volost

Word History and Origins

Origin of oblast¹

from Russian, from Old Slavonic, vlast government

Example Sentences

With this extraordinarily bold and well-executed incursion into Russia’s Kursk oblast, it got it.

From BBC

Oleksandr Tymchyk, who played in the game against Romania on Monday, lost a brother when he was killed in action in Donetsk Oblast in August 2023.

From New York Times

Russia has been on the offensive in the Kharkiv oblast, or province, since its forces crossed the border on 10 May.

From BBC

In the yard, as firefighters went into the building to damp down the blaze and search for more bodies, Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of the Kharkiv oblast police, could barely contain his anger.

From BBC

It is also something of a thorn in Russia's side given that it is the capital of an oblast of the same name that Russia has illegally annexed, and yet the city is still living freely in Ukrainian hands.

From BBC