glasnost
pronunciation
How to pronounce glasnost in British English:
UK ['glæsˌnəʊst]
How to pronounce glasnost in American English:
US [ˈɡlɑsnəst,-nɔst]
-
- Noun:
- a policy of the Soviet government allowing freer discussion of social problems
Word Origin
- glasnost (n.)
- 1972 (in reference to a letter of 1969 by Solzhenitsyn), from Russian glasnost "openness to public scrutiny," literally "publicity, fact of being public," ultimately from Old Church Slavonic glasu "voice," from PIE *gal-so-, from root *gal- (2) "to call, shout" (see call (v.)). First used in a socio-political sense by Lenin; popularized in English after Mikhail Gorbachev used it prominently in a speech of March 11, 1985, accepting the post of general secretary of the CPSU. The Soviets, it seems, have rediscovered the value of Lenin's dictum that "glasnost," the Russian word for openness or publicity, is a desirable form of conduct. [New York Times news service article, March 1981]
Example
- 1. We see perestroika leading to glasnost .
- 2. Glasnost was more successful but not in the ways that gorbachev envisioned .
- 3. The reforms of perestroika and glasnost took place against the lowest prices in decades .
- 4. Gorbachev responded to the soviet union 's problems by introducing perestroika , or economic restructuring , and glasnost , an element of political freedom .
- 5. I 'm optimistic that a north korean spring or soviet-style glasnost will come soon and that the organized public wailing and chest-beating over the death of a villain will forever be relegated to history .