noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈsæmɪzdæt/
Received-Pronunciation:/səmɪzˈdæt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The secret copying and sharing of illegal publications, chiefly in the Soviet Union; underground publishing and its publications.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: attributive, often, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A samizdat publication.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned literature
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: underground press
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: print media
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian самизда́т (samizdát, “self-publishing”), from сам (sam, “self”) + изда́т (izdát), an abbreviation of изда́тельство (izdátelʹstvo, “publishing house, publishing”) (compare Russian Госизда́т (Gosizdát, “State Publisher”)).
Across languages
Translations
50 source translations are retained for this English entry.