ENGLISH
REFERENCE

KGB

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˌkeɪˌdʒiˈbi// kgb Archaic

n. Stands for Committee for State Security. The main secret police and intelligence agency of the Soviet Union. It was famous for spying and keeping control over the country until it was closed in 1991.

n. Abbreviation for Committee for State Security (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). The primary security agency for the Soviet Union from 1954 until its dissolution in 1991.


SIMPLE

He worked as a high-ranking officer in the KGB during the Cold War.

CONTEXTUAL

Historical documents reveal how the KGB monitored the private lives of citizens to prevent political dissent.

COMPLEX

The legacy of the KGB continues to influence modern Russian intelligence structures, as many contemporary leaders began their careers within its vast bureaucratic and operational framework.

Origin

From Russian КГБ (KGB), acronym of Комите́т госуда́рственной безопа́сности (Komitét gosudárstvennoj bezopásnosti, “State Security Committee”).

Usage

Usually used with the definite article 'the'. When referring to the organization as a whole, it functions as a proper noun and is always capitalized.

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