Siberia

[sahy-beer-ee-uh]

noun

1. Russian Sibir. an extensive region in the Russian Federation in N Asia, extending from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific.

2. any undesirable or isolated locale, job, etc., to which one is assigned as punishment, a mark of disfavor, or the like.

Siberia

/ saɪˈbɪərɪə /

noun

1. a vast region of Russia and N Kazakhstan: extends from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific and from the Arctic Ocean to the borders with China and Mongolia; colonized after the building of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Area: 13 807 037 sq km (5 330 896 sq miles)

Siberia

1. Region of Russia stretching from north-central to northeastern Asia.

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

• Siberian adjective
• trans-Siberian adjective

Example Sentences

To improve their odds, Russian majors planned to tap shale formations in Siberia using techniques developed in Texas and North Dakota but the war prevented them.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Owners of small and independent petrol stations in Siberia have told Russian media they have had to shut down due to ongoing issues with fuel supply.

Read more on BBC

“I know quite well what happened in the Soviet Union because my wife is from Siberia,” says Herzog.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Ten years ago, I was one of the worst. Orange County, that was worse than Siberia at the time. But things change.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In Krasnoyarsk, a city of more than a million people in Siberia, mobile internet vanished citywide for three days in July and still works poorly.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• oblivion