Soviet Definition

sōvē-ĕt, -ĭt, sŏvē-, sōvē-ĕt

noun

Any of the various governing councils that performed executive and legislative functions in the Soviet Union: in structure the soviets formed a pyramid, with the village and town soviets as its base and the Supreme Soviet as its apex.

Webster's New World

Any similar council in a socialist governing system.

Webster's New World

The government officials or the people of the Soviet Union, Russia, or Uzbekistan.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
uyezd
oblast (all Russian)
guberniya
council; volost
congress
assembly

pronoun

(history) Any of the governing workers' councils in the Soviet Union.

Wiktionary

adjective

Of a soviet or soviets or government by soviets.

Webster's New World

Of or connected with the Soviet Union.

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Soviet

Noun

Singular:

soviet

Plural:

soviets

Origin of Soviet

From Russian совет (sovet, “council"), from Old Russian and Old Church Slavonic съвѣтъ (sÅvÄ›tÅ, “advice"). Compounded from со- (so-) + Old Church Slavonic вѣтъ (vÄ›tÅ, “agreement"), from Proto-Slavic *vÄ›tÑŠ (“council, talk"). Related words include навет, извет, ответ, привет, обет, вече, отвечать, ответить, завещать, and совещаться. Probably cognate with Polish witać (“to welcome").

From Wiktionary
Russian sovet council, soviet from Old Russian sŭvětŭ ksun in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Russian совет (sovét), советский (sovétskij)

From Wiktionary