bolshevik

UK: /ˈbɒlʃɪvɪk/

US: /ˈboʊlʃəvɪk, -ˌvik, ˈbɑl-/

US: (bōl′shə vik, bol′-; Russ. bəl shi vyēk′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

Bol•she•vik /ˈboʊlʃəvɪk, -ˌvik, ˈbɑl-/   n. [countable] , pl. -viks, -vik•i 

/-ˌvɪki, -ˌviki/.  
1. Government
   • Government a member of the radical part of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party, 1903–17.
   • (after 1918) a member of the Russian Communist Party.
2. Government a member of any Communist Party.
3. Government [often: bolshevik] Disparaging. any person with radical or revolutionary political ideas.

Bol•she•vism /ˈboʊlʃəˌvɪzəm, ˈbɑl/  n. [uncountable]
Bol•she•vist, n. [countable] ,[adj.]  

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Bol•she•vik  (bōl′shə vik, bol′-; Russ. bəl shi vyēk′), n., pl. -viks, -vik•i 

(-vik′ē, -vē′kē; Russ. -vyi kyē′). 
1. Government (in Russia)
   • a member of the more radical majority of the Social Democratic party, 1903–17, advocating immediate and forceful seizure of power by the proletariat.
   • (after 1918) a member of the Russian Communist party.
2. Government (loosely) a member of any Communist party.
3. Government, Slang Terms [Derogatory.] an extreme political radical;
   revolutionary or anarchist.

Also, bol′she•vik. 

• Russian bol’shevík, equivalent. to ból’sh(iĭ) larger, greater (comparative of bol’shóĭ large; compare bol’shinstvó majority) + -evik, variant of -ovik noun, nominal suffix; compare Menshevik
• 1915–20

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Bolshevik / ˈbɒlʃɪvɪk/ noun ( -viks, -viki / -ˈviːkɪ/)

1. (formerly) a Russian Communist
   Compare Menshevik
2. any Communist
3. (often not capital) any political radical, esp a revolutionary

Etymology: 20th Century: from Russian Bol'shevik majority, from bol'shoi great; from the fact that this group formed a majority of the Russian Social Democratic Party in 1903

ˈBolsheˌvism noun

ˈBolshevist adjective , noun

ˌBolsheˈvistic adjective