Dictionary

Menshevik en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmɛnʃəvɪk/

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian меньшеви́к (menʹševík), derived from меньшинство́ (menʹšinstvó, “minority”), formed in turn from Russian ме́ньше (ménʹše), the comparative of ма́лый (mályj, “little”).

Meanings

1. (historical) A member of the gradualist or moderate wing of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party during the years preceding the Russian Revolution, when they split with the Bolsheviks; or a member of a later independent moderate-Marxist party formed in 1917.
   • В одном районе в последние 5—6 месяцев представителем был «меньшевик». Благодаря оторванности от общей работы этот район страшно ослаб. 1967 [1905 March 23 (10)], Владимир Ленин [Vladimir Lenin], “Пора кончить”, in В. И. Ленин – Полное собрание сочинений, volume 9, page 145; English translation from “Time to Call a Halt!”, in V. I. Lenin – Collected Works, volume 8, translation of original in Russian, 1977, page 36:
   • Let me be clear. The men and women on this stage have more ideas, more experience, more common sense than every participant in the Democratic debate. That debate reflected a debate between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. 2015 October 28, Ted Cruz, quotee, “Transcript: Read the Full Text of the CNBC Republican Debate in Boulder”, in TIME, archived from the original on 14 Jul 2024:
   • ‘Better an ultra-leftist than a Menshevik,’ said Rosa Kaletsky. 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003, page 259:

Forms

Relateds

Bolshevik

Translations (29)

it menscevico (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · fi menshevikki (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · bg меншеви́к (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · da mensjevik (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · ko 멘셰비키 (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · ja メンシェヴィキ (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · ka მენშევიკი (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · fi menševikki (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · pl mienszewiczka (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · eo menŝeviko (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · it menscevica (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · de Menschewik (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · ru меньшеви́чка (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · ca menxevic (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · be меншаві́к (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · hy մենշեւիկ (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · ru меньшеви́к (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · pt menchevique (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · mr मेनशेव्हिक (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · pl mienszewik (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · cmn 孟什維克 /孟什维克 (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · sv mensjevik (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · vi Men-sê-vích (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · uk меншови́к (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · fr menchevik (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · es menchevique (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · vi men-sê-vích (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · cs menševik (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement) · de Menschewikin (member of a minority faction of the Russian revolutionary movement)