bolchevik

Bolshevik

noun adjective bol-sheh-VEEK Rare

Origin: Russian bolshevik (member of the majority faction), from bolshe (bigger)

Usage Note

Bolchevik refers to the radical Marxist faction that seized power in Russia in 1917, led by Lenin. In French it is also used as an adjective (le parti bolchevik). The plural is bolcheviks or the older spelling bolcheviques. Informally it can be used hyperbolically to describe anyone seen as a radical leftist.

Examples

"Les bolcheviks ont pris le pouvoir en 1917."

Natural Translation

The Bolsheviks seized power in 1917.

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