Meanings
proper nounthe Soviet Union
- historicalA former transcontinental country in Europe and Asia (1922–1991), now split into Russia and fourteen other countries. Official name: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
2 more examples
In the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, three of the Soviet Union's fifteen constituent republics, last year's most dangerous fantasies have been sanctioned by the government itself. From Moscow has come the admission that yes, after all, the Soviet Union occupied these nations by force in 1940, against the will of the people.
1989 May, Priit J. Vesilind, “The Baltic: Arena of Power”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 604Hence the famous February 9th 1946 speech at the Bolshoi Theatre, where Stalin announced that the Soviet Union was returning to its pre-war emphasis on industrialization, war-preparedness, and the inevitability of conflict between capitalism and Communism, and made explicit what was already obvious, that henceforth the Soviet Union would cooperate with the West only when it suited her.
2005, Tony Judt, “The Impossible Settlement”, in Postwar: A history of Europe since 1945, London: Vintage Books, published 2010, →ISBN - historicalinformalThe Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA former transcontinental country in Europe and Asia (1922–1991), now split into Russia and fourteen other countries. Official name: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Origin
Clipping of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Attested since October 1919 in U.S. newspapers.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Sowjetunie, Sowjet-Unie
- SowjetunieUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- Sowjet-UnieUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Arabic الْاِتِّحَادُ السُّوفْيَاتِيّ, الْاِتِّحَادُ السُّوفْيَتِيّ
- الْاِتِّحَادُ السُّوفْيَاتِيّ (al-ittiḥādu s-sūfyātiyy)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- الْاِتِّحَادُ السُّوفْيَتِيّ (al-ittiḥādu s-sūfyatiyy)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Basque Sobietar Batasuna
- Sobietar BatasunaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Bengali সোভিয়েত ইউনিয়ন
- সোভিয়েত ইউনিয়ন (śobhiet iuniôn)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Bulgarian Съве́тски съю́з
- Съве́тски съю́з (Săvétski săjúz)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Catalan Unió Soviètica
- Unió SovièticaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Chinese Cantonese 蘇聯 /苏联, 蘇維埃聯盟 /苏维埃联盟
- 蘇聯 /苏联 (sou¹ lyun⁴)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- 蘇維埃聯盟 /苏维埃联盟 (sou¹ wai⁴ aai¹ lyun⁴ mang⁴)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Chinese Mandarin 蘇聯 /苏联, 蘇維埃聯盟 /苏维埃联盟
- 蘇聯 /苏联 (Sūlián)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- 蘇維埃聯盟 /苏维埃联盟 (Sūwéi'āi Liánméng)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Czech Sovětský svaz
- Sovětský svazUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Danish Sovjetunionen
- SovjetunionenUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Dutch Sovjet-Unie, Radenbond
- Sovjet-UnieUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- RadenbondUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Esperanto Sovetunio
- SovetunioUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Estonian Nõukogude Liit, NSV Liit
- Nõukogude LiitUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- NSV LiitUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Finnish Neuvostoliitto
- NeuvostoliittoUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
French Union soviétique
- Union soviétiqueUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
German Sowjetunion
- SowjetunionUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Greek Σοβιετική Ένωση
- Σοβιετική Ένωση (Sovietikí Énosi)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Hebrew בְּרִית הַמּוֹעָצוֹת
- בְּרִית הַמּוֹעָצוֹת (brit ha-mo'atsót)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Hindi सोवियत संघ, सोवियत यूनियन
- सोवियत संघ (soviyat saṅgh)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- सोवियत यूनियन (soviyat yūniyan)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Hungarian Szovjetunió
- SzovjetunióUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Icelandic Sovétríkin, Sovétsambandið
- SovétríkinUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- SovétsambandiðUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- RáðstjórnarríkinUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Indonesian Uni Soviet, Uni Sovyet
- Uni SovietUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- Uni SovyetUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Irish Aontas Sóivéadach
- Aontas SóivéadachUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Italian Unione Sovietica
- Unione SovieticaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Japanese ソ連, ソビエト連邦
- ソ連 (Soren)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- ソビエト連邦 (Sobieto Renpō)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- ソヴェト連邦 (Soveto Renpō)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Korean 소련, 쏘련
- 소련 (Soryeon)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- 쏘련 (Ssoryeon)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- 소비에트 연방 (Sobieteu yeonbang)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- 쏘베트 련방 (Ssobeteu ryeonbang)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Latin Uniō Sovietica
- Uniō SovieticaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Latvian Padomju Savienība
- Padomju SavienībaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Lithuanian Tarybų Sąjunga
- Tarybų SąjungaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Malay Kesatuan Soviet
- Kesatuan SovietUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Norwegian Bokmål Sovjetunionen
- SovjetunionenUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Polish Związek Radziecki
- Związek RadzieckiUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Portuguese União Soviética
- União SoviéticaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Punjabi ਸੋਵੀਅਤ ਯੂਨੀਅਨ
- ਸੋਵੀਅਤ ਯੂਨੀਅਨ (sovīata yūnīana)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Romanian Uniunea Sovietică, Униуня Советикэ
- Uniunea SovieticăUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- Униуня Советикэ (Uniunea Sovetică)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Russian Сове́тский Сою́з
- Сове́тский Сою́з (Sovétskij Sojúz)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Slovak Sovietsky zväz
- Sovietsky zväzUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Spanish Unión Soviética
- Unión SoviéticaUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Swahili Muungano wa Sovieti
- Muungano wa SovietiUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Swedish Sovjetunionen, Sovjet
- SovjetunionenUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- SovjetUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Tagalog Unyong Sobyet
- Unyong SobyetUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Tamil சோவியத் ஒன்றியம்
- சோவியத் ஒன்றியம் (cōviyat oṉṟiyam)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Thai สหภาพโซเวียต
- สหภาพโซเวียต (sà-hà-pâap-soo-wîiat)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Turkish Sovyetler Birliği
- Sovyetler BirliğiUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Ukrainian Радя́нський Сою́з, Совє́тський Сою́з
- Радя́нський Сою́з (Radjánsʹkyj Sojúz)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- Совє́тський Сою́з (Sovjétsʹkyj Sojúz)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Urdu سووِیَت اِتِّحاد, سووِیَت یُونِیَن
- سووِیَت اِتِّحاد (soviyat ittihād)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- سووِیَت یُونِیَن (soviyat yūniyan)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Vietnamese Liên Xô, Liên bang Xô viết
- Liên XôUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
- Liên bang Xô viếtUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Welsh Undeb Sofietaidd
- Undeb SofietaiddUSSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Yiddish סאָוועטן־פֿאַרבאַנד
- סאָוועטן־פֿאַרבאַנד (sovetn-farband)USSR — see also Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR
Cite this entry
APA
Soviet Union. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Soviet%20Union
MLA
“Soviet Union.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Soviet%20Union. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Soviet Union,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Soviet%20Union.
Source: Soviet Union on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.