pogrom
Americannoun
noun
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Pogroms were common in Russia during the nineteenth century.
Etymology
Origin of pogrom
1880–85; (< Yiddish ) < Russian pogróm literally, destruction, devastation (of a town, country, etc., as in war), noun derivative of pogromít’, equivalent to po- perfective prefix + gromít’ to destroy, devastate, derivative of grom thunder
Explanation
The organized destruction of an ethnic group is called a pogrom. The word comes to English via the similar Yiddish and Russian words; pogrom literally means "devastation." In many Russian pogroms in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the mob attacked Jews — burning their homes and synagogues. Thousands of Jews were killed during these attacks, and many more fled them by emigrating to other countries, including the United States. Pogroms against Jews occurred in countries other than Russia, including Argentina, Romania, Poland, and Libya. Other ethnic groups, including Armenians, were also the target of pogroms in the early twentieth century.
Vocabulary lists containing pogrom
The Diary of a Young Girl
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Wonder
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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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.
The term "pogrom" refers to violent attacks against Jews because of their religion.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
As reports of antisemitism surge in Germany and elsewhere, commemorations of the Nazi pogrom Kristallnacht have taken on special resonance this year.
From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2023
The term "pogrom" refers to violent and organised attacks against Jews, and is particularly associated with pre-Second World War eastern Europe.
From BBC • Oct. 16, 2023
"It's something that we used to imagine from our grandfathers, grandmothers in the pogrom in Europe and other places."
From Reuters • Oct. 10, 2023
The ideal course to pursue would be, of course, to spank the serious-minded young men who think that the Russian novel is a cross between Nijinsky's dancing and a pogrom.
From The Circus, and Other Essays and Fugitive Pieces by Kilmer, Joyce
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.
