Trotsky

American  

[trot-skee, trawt-skyee] / ˈtrɒt ski, ˈtrɔt skji /

Or Trotski

noun

1. Leon Lev, or Leib, Davidovich Bronstein, 1879–1940, Russian revolutionary and writer: minister of war 1918–25.

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Trotsky British  

/ ˈtrɒtskɪ /

noun

1. Leon , original name Lev Davidovich Bronstein . 1879–1940, Russian revolutionary and Communist theorist. He was a leader of the November Revolution (1917) and, as commissar of foreign affairs and war (1917–24), largely created the Red Army. He was ousted by Stalin after Lenin's death and deported from Russia (1929); assassinated by a Stalinist agent

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Compare meaning

How does trotsky compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Lenin vs. Trotsky

Example Sentences

In the troika of major figures in the Russian Revolution, Trotsky stood for ideas and Stalin represented power; their predecessor, Vladimir Lenin, had fused the two values as the frowning avatar of communist leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

He merrily throws onto the passenger manifest the likes of Josephine Bonaparte, Josephine Baker, Trotsky, Lenin and Stalin.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2025

It turned out that the used needles actually belonged to the owners of a diabetic cat named Trotsky, who’d momentarily left their rubbish unattended only for it to spill over and be photographed by reporters.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2025

As Leon Trotsky wrote in 1933, “Despair has raised them to their feet, fascism has given them a banner.”

From Slate • Jul. 31, 2024

“Don’t you think I can read Trotsky and not be influenced to follow him?”

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright