gulag

/ˈɡuːlɑːɡ/
noun
  1. A system of forced labor camps in the Soviet Union, especially during the Stalin era.
    • Many political prisoners were sent to the gulag.
    • Survivors of the gulag wrote memoirs about their experiences.
    • The history book described life in the Soviet gulag.
  2. Any harsh prison or oppressive system, often used figuratively.
    • Refugees fled the gulag of their war-torn country.
    • The novel describes a dystopian gulag of surveillance and control.
    • The company's strict rules made the office feel like a gulag.
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