samizdat

noun

sa·​miz·​dat ˈsä-mēz-ˌdät How to pronounce samizdat (audio)
: a system in the Soviet Union and countries within its orbit by which government-suppressed literature was clandestinely printed and distributed
also : such literature

Examples of samizdat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In response, samizdat (self-publishing) emerged. — Jennifer Lutz, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026 In an era in which politicians are focus-grouped to the point of parody, the exchange felt like samizdat smuggled across the borders of liberal piety. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026 Agents later discovered a samizdat archive of Mamleev’s writings at the home of Dugin’s parents. — James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025 The Palace premiered last fall at the Venice Film Festival and is now being circulated unofficially — like samizdat. — Armond White, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for samizdat

Word History

Etymology

Russian, from sam- self- + izdatel'stvo publishing house

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of samizdat was in 1967

Rhymes for samizdat

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Browse Nearby Words

samite
samizdat
Samkhya
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Cite this Entry

“Samizdat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samizdat. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on samizdat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about samizdat

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