Samizdat Definition

sämĭz-dät, sə-myĭz-dät
noun
A system by which manuscripts denied official publication in the Soviet Union were circulated clandestinely as in typescript or in mimeograph form, or were smuggled out for publication abroad.
Webster's New World
The literature produced by this system.
American Heritage
Manuscripts distributed in this way.
Webster's New World
An underground press.
American Heritage

(countable) A samizdat publication.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
  • underground press

Other Word Forms of Samizdat

Noun

Singular:
samizdat
Plural:
samizdats

Origin of Samizdat

  • Russian sam self sem-1 in Indo-European roots izdatel'stvo publishing house (from izdat' to publish) (on the model of Gosizdat State Publishing House) (iz from, out of eghs in Indo-European roots) (dat' to give dō- in Indo-European roots)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • 1967, From Russian самиздат (samizdát, “self-publishing"), from сам (sam, “self") + издат (izdát), abbrev. of издательство (izdátel'stvo, “publishing house"). Compare Russian Госиздат (Gosizdát, “State Publisher").

    From Wiktionary

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