stalin
n. countablen. the leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953. He was a powerful and strict ruler who industrialized the country but also caused many deaths.
n. Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1953. A proper noun referring to the historical figure known for rapid industrialization and political repression.
Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for many years.
The museum exhibit shows photos of Stalin during World War II.
Historians debate whether Stalin's harsh policies were necessary for the Soviet Union's survival against Nazi Germany.
Borrowed from Russian Ста́лин (Stálin), from сталь (stalʹ, “steel”) + -ин (-in, possessive suffix), from German Stahl (“steel”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stahlą (“steel”).