Great Patriotic War

proper noun

The German-Soviet war (a portion of World War II fought between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945).

OriginRussian Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́ →
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Meanings

proper nounthe Great Patriotic War
  1. historicalThe German-Soviet war (a portion of World War II fought between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945).

Origin

  1. RussianВели́кая Оте́чественная война́
  2. EnglishGreat Patriotic War

Calque of Russian Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́ (Velíkaja Otéčestvennaja vojná). This term was first used in 1844 to refer to the Russian resistance and victory over Napoleon's invasion, and was evoked again in 1912 during the centenary of the French defeat. In 1941, the newspaper Pravda used the term for the defence against the German invasion of the Soviet Union, in order to motivate citizens to unite and fight.

More words from Russian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic الْحَرْب الْوَطَنِيَّة الْعُظْمَى
  • الْحَرْب الْوَطَنِيَّة الْعُظْمَىthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Bulgarian Вели́ка Оте́чествена война́
  • Вели́ка Оте́чествена война́ (Velíka Otéčestvena vojná)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Chinese Mandarin 衛國戰爭 /卫国战争
  • 衛國戰爭 /卫国战争 (Wèiguó Zhànzhēng)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Czech Velká vlastenecká válka
  • Velká vlastenecká válkathe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Estonian Suureks isamaasõjaks
  • Suureks isamaasõjaksthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Finnish suuri isänmaallinen sota
  • suuri isänmaallinen sotathe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
French Grande Guerre patriotique
  • Grande Guerre patriotiquethe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
German Großer Vaterländischer Krieg
  • Großer Vaterländischer Kriegthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Hindi महान देशभक्तिपूर्ण युद्ध
  • महान देशभक्तिपूर्ण युद्ध (mahān deśbhaktipūrṇ yuddh)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Hungarian Nagy Honvédő Háború
  • Nagy Honvédő Háborúthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Italian Grande Guerra Patriottica
  • Grande Guerra Patriotticathe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Japanese 大祖国戦争
  • 大祖国戦争 (Dai Sokoku Sensō)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Korean 대조국전쟁
  • 대조국전쟁 (Daejogukjeonjaeng)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Latvian Lielais Tēvijas karš
  • Lielais Tēvijas karšthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Lithuanian Didysis Tėvynės karas
  • Didysis Tėvynės karasthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Polish wielka wojna ojczyźniana
  • wielka wojna ojczyźnianathe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Romanian Marele Război Patriotic
  • Marele Război Patrioticthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Russian Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́, ВОВ
  • Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́ (Velíkaja Otéčestvennaja vojná)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
  • ВОВ (VOV)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Slovak Veľká vlastenecká vojna
  • Veľká vlastenecká vojnathe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Spanish Gran Guerra Patria, Gran Guerra Patriótica
  • Gran Guerra Patriathe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
  • Gran Guerra Patrióticathe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Swedish stora fosterländska kriget
  • stora fosterländska krigetthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Turkish Büyük Yurtseverlik Savaşı
  • Büyük Yurtseverlik Savaşıthe war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Ukrainian Вели́ка Вітчизня́на війна́
  • Вели́ка Вітчизня́на війна́ (Velýka Vitčyznjána vijná)the war between the USSR and Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945
Cite this entry
APA

Great Patriotic War. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Patriotic%20War

MLA

“Great Patriotic War.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Patriotic%20War. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Great Patriotic War,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Patriotic%20War.

Source: Great Patriotic War on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.