noun · 1 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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/ˈsiːləvɪk/
/ˈsɪləvɪk/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A member of the Russian military, law enforcement, or intelligence services (the KGB or FSB), or a politician with a background in such services.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Russian силови́к (silovík), from си́ла (síla, “force”) + adjective suffix -ов (-ov, “-able/-ible”) + agent suffix -ик (-ik, “-ist, -er”), adjective: силово́й (silovój, “of or related to force”).
Across languages
Translations
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ուժային
(užayin)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Belarusian:
сілаві́к
(silavík)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Bulgarian:
силови́к
(silovík)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Chinese Mandarin:
西羅維基 /西罗维基
(xīluówéijī)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Chinese Mandarin:
強力部門 /强力部门
(qiánglì bùmén)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Dutch:
silovik
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Finnish:
silovikki
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
French:
silovik
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
German:
Silowik
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Hebrew:
סילוביקי
(silovík)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Japanese:
シロヴィキ
(shiroviki)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Japanese:
シロヴィク
(shiroviku)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Korean:
실로비키
(sillobiki)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Korean:
실로비크
(sillobikeu)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Norwegian Bokmål:
silovik
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Russian:
силови́к
(silovík)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Serbo-Croatian:
силовик
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Serbo-Croatian:
silovik
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Swedish:
silovik
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Turkish:
silovik
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)
Ukrainian:
силови́к
(sylovýk)
— former member of the security services and the military, any power structure (Russia)