Tolstoy

American  

[tohl-stoi, tol-, tuhl-stoi] / ˈtoʊl stɔɪ, ˈtɒl-, tʌlˈstɔɪ /

Or Tolstoi

noun

1. Leo or Lev Nikolaevich Count, 1828–1910, Russian novelist and social critic.

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Tolstoy British  

/ ˈtɒlstɔɪ, talˈstɔj /

noun

1. Leo , Russian name Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. 1828–1910, Russian novelist, short-story writer, and philosopher; author of the two monumental novels War and Peace (1865–69) and Anna Karenina (1875–77). Following a spiritual crisis in 1879, he adopted a form of Christianity based on a doctrine of nonresistance to evil

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Other Word Forms

• Tolstoian adjective
• Tolstoyan adjective
• Tolstoyism noun
• Tolstoyist noun

Compare meaning

How does tolstoy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Tolstoy vs. Dostoevsky

Example Sentences

Two years later he made a rare foray into fiction with "A Couple," inspired by the relationship and correspondence between Leo Tolstoy and his wife, Sophia.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Many a genius has been not all that good at learning in a formal school setting: Blaise Pascal, Leo Tolstoy and Albert Einstein are notable examples.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

And what would Tolstoy – who, though born a noble, later in life renounced his privileged upbringing and wealth – think of the bogan version?

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

With apologies to Leo Tolstoy, fanatics are all alike, while each moderate is moderate in their own way.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025

Then Mr. Mikoyan would read me quotes from Tolstoy, whom he considered the greatest of all Russian authors, to copy onto the blackboard.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García