Definition

A type of farm that was owned by the government in the former Soviet Union, where workers were paid wages for their labor.

Example

The sovkhoz produced a large amount of grain for the country.

Conversation

I was reading about the history of agriculture in Russia, and I came across the term sovkhoz.

Oh, I think I've heard of that before! It's like a state-owned farm, right?

Exactly! I found it interesting how they paid wages to workers back then.

Yeah, it must have been quite different from today's farming practices.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

The word 'sovkhoz' comes from Russian 'совхоз' (sovkhoz), which is a combination of 'совет' (soviet, meaning council) and 'хоз' (short for 'хозяйство', khozyaystvo, meaning economy or farm). It refers to a state-owned farm in the Soviet Union, managed by a council.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'council' ('совет') managing a 'farm' ('хоз') — that's what a sovkhoz is, a farm run by the state.

Visually Confused Words