Soviet Union
UK /ˈsɒviət ˈjuːniən/ · US /ˈsoʊviət ˈjuːnjən/ proper noun
Forms the Soviet Union
- proper noun (historical) A former transcontinental country in Europe and Asia (1922–1991), now split into Russia and fourteen other countries. Official name: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
- proper noun (informal, historical, synecdochic) The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
Synonyms
USSR CCCP SSSR SU Russia Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Etymology
Clipping of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Attested since October 1919 in U.S. newspapers.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “Soviet Union”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details