Menshevik

or men·she·vik

[ men-shuh-vik; Russian myin-shi-vyeek ]
/ ˈmɛn ʃə vɪk; Russian myɪn ʃɪˈvyik /

noun, plural Men·she·viks, Men·she·vik·i [men-shuh-vik-ee, -vee-kee; Russian myin-shi-vyi-kyee] /ˈmɛn ʃəˌvɪk i, -ˌvi ki; Russian myɪn ʃɪ vyɪˈkyi/.

a member of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party in opposition to the Bolsheviks: advocated gradual development of full socialism through parliamentary government and cooperation with bourgeois parties; absorbed into the Communist party formed in 1918.

Origin of Menshevik

1905–10; < Russian menʾshevík, equivalent to ménʾsh(iĭ) lesser (comparative of málenʾkiĭ small; compare menʾshinstvó minority) + -evik, variant of -ovik noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM Menshevik

Men·she·vism [men-shuh-viz-uh m] /ˈmɛn ʃəˌvɪz əm/, noun Men·she·vist, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for menshevik

  • Are we depriving ourselves of Cadet and Menshevik criticisms of the corruption of the working class?

    Dictatorship vs. Democracy |Leon Trotsky

  • One of the Menshevik orators attempted incidentally to represent me as a defender of militarism in general.

    Dictatorship vs. Democracy |Leon Trotsky

British Dictionary definitions for menshevik

Menshevik

Menshevist

/ (ˈmɛnʃɪvɪk) /

noun

a member of the moderate wing of the Russian Social Democratic Party, advocating gradual reform to achieve socialism Compare Bolshevik

Derived forms of Menshevik

Menshevism, noun

Word Origin for Menshevik

C20: from Russian, literally: minority, from menshe less, from malo few