Trotsky

or Trot·ski

[ trot-skee; Russian trawt-skyee ]

/ ˈtrɒt ski; Russian ˈtrɔt skyi /

Save This Word!

noun

Leon Lev, or Leib, Davidovich Bronstein, 1879–1940, Russian revolutionary and writer: minister of war 1918–25.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby Trotsky

trot, troth, trothplight, trotline, trot out, Trotsky, Trotskyism, Trotskyist International, Trotskyite, Trotsky, Leon, trotter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Trotsky in a sentence

Few sore losers could wield sharp words quite like Leon Trotsky, especially when talking about Joseph Stalin.
Kotkin Biography Reveals Stalin's Evil Pragmatism|William O’Connor|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bloody effervescence of the Bastille gave way to Robespierre and then Napoleon; Stalin crushed Trotsky.
You Say You Want a Revolution?|Christopher Dickey|June 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Trotsky, Stalin, and Hitler were all in Vienna in 1913, so maybe they did pass within 10 feet of each other walking down Graben.
William Boyd on James Bond and His New Novel, Waiting for Sunrise|Lucy Scholes|April 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Trying to get to the right of Santorum is like trying to get to the left of Trotsky.
Paul Begala on Romney’s Desperate Dive to the Right in the Arizona Debate|Paul Begala|February 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST

He does recognize that Trotsky was unable to escape a Jewish identity he had no wish to preserve.
The Trotsky Legend Debunked|Michael Kazin|December 8, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Lenin, Trotsky, and their associates are not only extreme Communists, but are also avowed Atheists.
The myth of the Jewish menace in world affairs|Lucien Wolf
These number 17, and of them 16 are indisputably Gentiles, while only one—Trotsky—is of Jewish birth.
The myth of the Jewish menace in world affairs|Lucien Wolf
Her soldiers demanded peace; her peasants and townspeople asked for bread, and turned to Lenin and Trotsky, who promised both.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
Hackoff is a shrewd fellow, but neither he nor Trotsky can cope with the situation much longer.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, April 30, 1919|Various
The English reader of to-day is aware, however, that the Russian revolution has not stood still since Trotsky wrote.
Dictatorship vs. Democracy|Leon Trotsky

British Dictionary definitions for Trotsky

Trotsky

Trotski

/ (ˈtrɒtskɪ) /

noun

Leon, original name Lev Davidovich Bronstein . 1879–1940, Russian revolutionary and Communist theorist. He was a leader of the November Revolution (1917) and, as commissar of foreign affairs and war (1917–24), largely created the Red Army. He was ousted by Stalin after Lenin's death and deported from Russia (1929); assassinated by a Stalinist agent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012