Stalinism

noun

Sta·​lin·​ism ˈstä-lə-ˌni-zəm 

ˈsta-

: the political, economic, and social principles and policies associated with Stalin

especially : the theory and practice of communism developed by Stalin from Marxism-Leninism and marked especially by rigid authoritarianism, widespread use of terror, and often emphasis on Russian nationalism

Stalinist

ˈstä-lə-nist 

ˈsta-

noun or adjective

Stalinize

ˈstä-lə-ˌnīz 

ˈsta-

transitive verb

Stalinoid

ˈstä-lə-ˌnȯid 

ˈsta-

noun or adjective

Examples of Stalinism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In English class, some students might read Animal Farm as an allegory for Stalinism, while others see it as a story about talking animals. —Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024

And sometimes, this language which is used by the authorities could be compared with the language of Stalinism, the situation of the late 1940s and early 1950s, in terms of rhetoric, the absurdity of this rhetoric, and the absurdity of repressions. —Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2024

Putinism has a chance to outlive Putin, but Russian history, including the history of Stalinism, shows that as soon as an autocrat disappears, a new era of liberalization can begin. —Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023

Instead, Russian President Vladimir Putin has revived Stalinism—so effectively, in fact, that in 2019, 70 percent of Russians approved of Stalin and his policies, according to a Levada Center poll. —Kaja Kallas, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above