gulag

UK: /ˈɡuːlæɡ/ US: (go̅o̅′läg)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

gu•lag  (go̅o̅′läg), n. (sometimes cap.)

1. Military, Government the system of forced-labor camps in the Soviet Union.
2. Military, Government a Soviet forced-labor camp.
3. Military, Government any prison or detention camp, esp. for political prisoners.

• Russian Gulág, acronym from Glávnoe upravlénie ispravítel’no-trudovýkh lageréĭ Main Directorate of Corrective Labor Camps
• 1970–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Gulag / ˈɡuːlæɡ/ noun

1. (formerly) the central administrative department of the Soviet security service, established in 1930, responsible for maintaining prisons and forced labour camps
2. (not capital) any system used to silence dissents

Etymology: 20th Century: from Russian G(lavnoye) U(pravleniye Ispravitelno-Trudovykh) Lag(erei) Main Administration for Corrective Labour Camps