Standard Lemma guide

Spetsnaz

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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  • CMU ARPABET: S P EH1 T S N AE0 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Special forces in Russia and other post-Soviet states.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian спецна́з (specnáz), abbreviation of войска́ специа́льного назначе́ния (vojská speciálʹnovo naznačénija, “special purpose forces/troops”).

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: սպեցնազ (specʻnaz) — post-Soviet special forces
  • Belarusian: спецна́з (spjecnáz) — post-Soviet special forces
  • Finnish: Venäjän armeijan erikoisjoukot — post-Soviet special forces
  • Finnish: spetsnaz-joukot — post-Soviet special forces
  • French: spetsnaz — post-Soviet special forces
  • German: Speznas — post-Soviet special forces
  • Japanese: スペツナズ (supetsunazu) — post-Soviet special forces
  • Russian: спецна́з (specnáz) — post-Soviet special forces
  • Ukrainian: спецна́з (specnáz) — post-Soviet special forces