Russian Revolution

American  

[ruhsh-uhn rev-uh-loo-shuhn] / ˈrʌʃ ən ˌrɛv əˈlu ʃən /

noun

1. Also called February Revolution.  the uprising in Russia in March 1917 (February,Old Style ) in which the czarist government collapsed and a provisional government was established.

2. Also called October Revolution.  a coup d'état in November 1917 (October,Old Style ), which overthrew the provisional Russian government established eight months earlier, and which resulted in the formation of the Soviet government.

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Russian Revolution British  

noun

1. Also called (reckoned by the Julian calendar): February Revolution.  the uprising in Russia in March 1917, during which the tsar abdicated and a provisional government was set up

2. Also called (reckoned by the Julian calendar): October Revolution.  the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks under Lenin in November 1917, transforming the uprising into a socialist revolution. This was followed by a period of civil war against counter-revolutionary armies (1918–22), which ended in eventual victory for the Bolsheviks

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Russian Revolution Cultural  

1. A revolution in Russia in 1917–1918, also called the October Revolution, that overthrew the czar and brought the Bolsheviks, a Communist party led by Lenin, to power. The revolution was encouraged by Russian setbacks in World War I.

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Example Sentences

After WWI, American radicals found hope in the Russian Revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

One difference is that in 1917, the Russian Revolution happened, and the ruling elites in both Europe and the United States feared that its spirit would spread.

From Salon • Oct. 14, 2025

Born on 21 August 1909, three years before the Titanic disaster, Mrs Caterham has lived through the Russian Revolution, the Great Depression, two world wars and the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2025

“Mother Doll” isn’t a ghost story but a meticulously layered tale of fabulist historical fiction where the details of the Russian Revolution are related with the same depth of detail as a trip to Disneyland.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2024

The Russian Revolution, the rise of Hitler, America’s emergence as a world power, the Second World War, and continuing turmoil in the Middle East all have their roots in the First World War.

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