Brezhnev

American  

[brezh-nef, brye-zhnyif] / ˈbrɛʒ nɛf, ˈbrjɛ ʒnjɪf /

noun

1. Leonid Ilyich 1906–82, Russian political leader: first secretary of the Soviet Communist Party 1964–66; general secretary 1966–82; president of the Soviet Union 1960–64, 1977–82.

---

Brezhnev British  

/ ˈbrɛʒnɛf, ˈbrjɛʒnɪf /

noun

1. Leonid Ilyich (lɪaˈnit ˈilitʃ). 1906–82, Soviet statesman; president of the Soviet Union (1977–82); general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party (1964–82)

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Brezhnev

Even after 1964, when Leonid Brezhnev halted reforms, persecuted dissidents and presided over what came to be regarded as “the era of stagnation,” the arbitrary arrests of millions did not resume.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

In the early 1980s, however, the leaders of the two superpowers of that time, Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev and President Ronald Reagan, teamed up to drive a knife through that particular fantasy.

From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2025

It was the first East-West security agreement since the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty on nuclear weapons signed by Jimmy Carter and Leonid I. Brezhnev in 1979.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024

After, the two teams toured the world together, meeting President Gerald Ford and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2024

Nearly a year later, at his vacation home on the Black Sea, Nikita Khrushchev picked up the phone and heard the voice of Leonid Brezhnev, the second most powerful man in the Soviet government.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin