Sovietize

[ soh-vee-i-tahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, So·vi·et·ized, So·vi·et·iz·ing.

1. (sometimes lowercase) to bring under the influence or domination of the Soviet Union.
2. (often lowercase) to impose or institute a system of government similar to that of the Soviet Union.

sovietize

/ ˈsəʊvɪɪˌtaɪz; ˈsɒv- /

verb

1. to bring (a country, person, etc) under Soviet control or influence
2. to cause (a country) to conform to the Soviet model in its social, political, and economic structure

Derived Forms

• ˌsovietiˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• Sovi·et·i·zation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sovietize¹

First recorded in 1915–20; soviet + -ize

Example Sentences

The groundbreaking legislation soon fell victim to Cold War anxieties: Critics said it would “Sovietize” American children and allow the government to control families.

From Los Angeles Times

Che kept his criticism to himself at the time when he left, but he was increasingly critical over the need to Sovietize Cuba.

From Slate

Nixon’s programs would “Sovietize our youth” declared the conservative magazine Human Events, which imagined children ripped from their mothers’ arms and subjected to institutional care.

From Slate

Social Security was actually a plan “to Sovietize America,” a previous head of the Chamber of Commerce said in 1935.

From New York Times

When he proposed it in 1935, the former head of the chamber of commerce, Silas Hardy Strawn, dubbed the plan an effort "to Sovietize America."

From Time