glasnost
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of glasnost
First recorded in 1980–85, glasnost is from the Russian word glásnost' literally, publicity (taken to mean openness)
Explanation
During the 1980s, glasnost was the Soviet Union’s new policy of openness and free speech. Under glasnost, Soviets could openly criticize the government without fear of being arrested. When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, he initiated policies meant to open the government and share information with the people. Glasnost, which means "openness to public scrutiny" in Russian, allowed Soviet citizens to freely discuss problems they observed in the government and society. Gorbachev hoped to revitalize the Soviet Union with this new openness, but these changes led to its disintegration just six years later.
Vocabulary lists containing glasnost
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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.
Despite such inscrutability, Greenspan initiated a decadeslong glasnost at the central bank, pulling back the curtain on the Fed’s mystique.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
It was the era of glasnost and perestroika.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2024
As part of his reform efforts, Gorbachev also encouraged glasnost or openness, allowing those who were angry to be critical of the government.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
Those favorable impressions also derived from a misunderstanding of the purpose of glasnost and perestroika, his signature policies of openness and reform.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2022
The collapse of the Soviet Union was not the only result of Mr. Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika.
From New York Times ● Sep. 1, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
