Russia

American  

[ruhsh-uh] / ˈrʌʃ ə /

noun

1. Official Name Russian Federation.  a republic since 1991, the largest country in the world by area, extending from eastern Europe to northern and western Asia. 6,593,000 square miles (17,076,000 square kilometers). Moscow.

2. Soviet Union.

3. Russian Empire.

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Russia British  

/ ˈrʌʃə /

noun

1. the largest country in the world, covering N Eurasia and bordering on the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas: originating from the principality of Muscovy in the 17th century, it expanded to become the Russian Empire; the Tsar was overthrown in 1917 and the Communist Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was created; this merged with neighbouring Soviet Republics in 1922 to form the Soviet Union; on the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Russian Federation was established as an independent state. Official language: Russian. Religion: nonreligious and Russian orthodox Christian. Currency: rouble. Capital: Moscow. Pop: 142 500 482 (2013 est). Area: 17 074 984 sq km (6 592 658 sq miles)

2. another name for the Russian Empire

3. another name for the former Soviet Union

4. another name for the former Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

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Russia Cultural  

1. A vast nation that stretches from eastern Europe across the Eurasian land mass. It was the most powerful republic of the former Soviet Union; ethnic Russians composed about half of the population. It is the world's largest country. Its capital and largest city is Moscow.

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Discover More

Russia now occupies the seat on the Security Council of the United Nations formerly held by the Soviet Union.

Peter the Great, a czar who reigned in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, attempted to westernize Russian government and culture.

Russia was ruled by czars of the Romanov family from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries.

During the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks, under Lenin, took control of the government; communists governed from 1917 until 1991.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Russia
  adjective
• pro-Russia
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Russia

First recorded in 1730–40; from Medieval Latin Russī (nominative plural masculine) “Russians” + -ia noun suffix; see origin at Russ ¹ ( def. ), -ia

Example Sentences

Today, not only has Ukraine gained battlefield advantage over Russia in places, it has parlayed that success into respect and contracts following the U.S. war with Iran, thanks to Kyiv’s expertise in countering drone attacks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

"Yesterday was a great success," Rutte said on Wednesday, saying allies were "delivering" by moving to take more responsibility for the defence of their continent in the face of Russia.

From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026

"Settlement of this conflict through political and diplomatic means remains preferable" for Russia, Peskov added.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

One of the most decorated Olympic nations of all time, Russia had been stuck in a sanctions net of its own making.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

The collapsed empires of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia were replaced by a patchwork of smaller nations with their own armies, alliances, and jealousies.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman