Siberia
Americannoun
-
Russian Sibir. an extensive region in the Russian Federation in N Asia, extending from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific.
-
any undesirable or isolated locale, job, etc., to which one is assigned as punishment, a mark of disfavor, or the like.
noun
Discover More
As a consequence of Siberia's harsh conditions and its historical function as a place of punishment, to be “sent to Siberia” has become a metaphor for demotion, disgrace, or other forms of status diminution.
Known for its vast space, long and severely cold winters, and few inhabitants widely scattered in small settlements, Siberia has been for many centuries a place of political and criminal exile for Russians who anger the government's authorities.
Other Word Forms
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.
As for concerns about why there might be plague in a test tube in Siberia: the lack of transparency from Russia is worrying for biosecurity experts.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
The death of a plague laboratory worker in Siberia last week has made global headlines, with Russian media suggesting hundreds were under quarantine and US President Donald Trump expressing concern.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Russian authorities investigating the death of a woman who worked at a plague research institute in Siberia are coming under growing international pressure to explain how she died.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The watchdog said a biological safety team had inspected the Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Irkutsk and found no emergency situation there.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The same was true of Siberia, although the Map of Days had its own name for Russia’s Far East: The Great Far-Reaching Solitude.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
