soviet
n. countable B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsoʊviˌɛt// UK //sˈəʊviət// so·vi·et
n. a council or group of people who made decisions in the former Soviet Union. It can also refer to a citizen of that country.
n. an elected local, district, or national council in the former Soviet Union. Also used as a demonym for a citizen of the USSR.
The local soviet met once a week to discuss new rules.
During the early twentieth century, the workers' soviet became a powerful symbol of revolutionary organization in major cities.
The transition from local revolutionary soviets to a centralized bureaucratic apparatus fundamentally altered the distribution of political power within the fledgling state.
Usage
Often capitalized when referring to the historical political entity or its citizens.