KGB

American  

Or K.G.B.

1. the intelligence and internal-security agency of the former Soviet Union, organized in 1954 and responsible for enforcement of security regulations, protection of political leaders, the guarding of borders, and clandestine operations abroad.

---

KGB British  

abbreviation

1. the former Soviet secret police, founded in 1954 Compare GRU

---

KGB Cultural  

1. The secret police of the former Soviet Union.

---

Etymology

Origin of KGB

< Russian, for K ( omitét ) g ( osudárstvennoĭ ) b ( ezopásnosti ) Committee for State Security

Example Sentences

Twila charges in headfirst without concern for the consequences, whether it’s setting a bar on fire to escape the notice of KGB or brazenly approaching Russian sources.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

For decades, the Cuban secret service, trained during the Soviet era by the KGB, enjoyed a reputation for invincibility.

From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026

That volume, along with Mitrokhin’s subsequent books, drew upon the detailed notes about KGB operations he had carried to the West.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Seeking money to pay debts, Ames said he began providing the KGB with the names of CIA spies in April 1985, receiving an initial payment of $50,000.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

The KGB watched and followed all US citizens working for the American embassy in Moscow, because, as the Soviets knew, any one of them could be an undercover agent for the CIA.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau