# slavs

/ˈsɫɑvz/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slavs
Updated: 2026-05-28

## Definition

people who speak languages from the Slavic family, which includes Russian, Polish, and Czech. They live mainly in Eastern and Central Europe.

For teachers: the various ethnic and linguistic groups that speak languages belonging to the Slavic branch of the Indo-European family. Often used in the plural to refer to the collective population of Eastern and Central Europe.

## Examples

- Many Slavs live in the countries of Eastern Europe.
- The history of the Slavs is deeply tied to the development of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Russian Empire.
- Linguistic and genetic studies have shown that the Slavs migrated from the area of the Carpathian Mountains into their current territories during the early medieval period.

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