pogrom

Everyday

1. A pogrom is a violent attack by a mob on a group of people because of their religion or people, in which homes and shops are destroyed and people are hurt or killed. tree →
2. The word was first used for attacks on Jewish people in the Russian Empire, including in towns that are now in Ukraine, in the 1800s and early 1900s. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons a pogrom is a terrible event of hatred and persecution; the word tells the reader that innocent people were attacked for who they were, often while the authorities did nothing or helped. Kristallnacht in Germany in 1938 was a pogrom against Jews. Lessons use it to teach why prejudice is dangerous.

Examples

• A pogrom is an attack on people just because of their religion or background. tree →
• Many Jewish families left the Russian Empire after pogroms destroyed their homes. tree →
• Kristallnacht in 1938 was a pogrom against Jewish people in Germany. tree →
• During the pogrom, shops were smashed and families were hurt. tree →
• My great-grandparents moved to America to escape the pogroms. tree →
• The museum taught us how hatred can grow into a pogrom. tree →
• Remembering the pogroms helps people stand up against prejudice. tree →

Note

Countable: a pogrom, pogroms. It is a Russian word meaning "destruction", "to wreak havoc". Use it carefully and only for real mob attacks on a group; it is not a word for an ordinary fight or riot.