Soyuz

American

[saw-yooz, suh-yooz] / ˈsɔ yuz, sʌˈyuz /

noun

one of a series of Soviet spacecraft, carrying one, two, or three cosmonauts, who carried out scientific research and developed rendezvous and docking techniques: still used to ferry crews to Soviet space stations.

Soyuz British

/ sɔɪˈjʊz /

noun

any of a series of Russian spacecraft used to ferry crew to and from space stations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Soyuz

From the Russian word Soyúz literally, union

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Williams traveled to the station aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

The Korean satellite was supposed to be launched in 2022 with a Soyuz rocket, but the plan was scrapped after Russia’s attack on Ukraine that year, according to the website.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

Throughout the 2010s, American astronauts reached the space station by hitching rides on Russian Soyuz rockets, until a burgeoning private-sector spaceflight industry stepped in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Previous Galileo satellites were primarily launched by Ariane 5 and Russian Soyuz rockets from Kourou.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

April 23, 1967: Soyuz 1 launches, but there are problems.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023