: 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 noun or adjective

Examples of Stalinism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This critique involved not just intellectuals on the left, but also famous American realists who played a key part in rallying U.S. liberal opinion to resist Nazism and Stalinism. Anatol Lieven, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 Again, Breaking With Trump Caroline Ellison, Star Witness in FTX Case, Should Receive Lenient Sentence, Prosecutors Signal Trumpism, Stalinism and the Tariff Debate An 8-Year-Old Ohio Girl Takes a Solo Drive to Target in Family’s SUV Trump and Other Presidents Embrace Golf. New York Times, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Stalinism was in 1927

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stalinism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Stalinism. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on Stalinism

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!