Skip to main content
Nepman

Nepman

9.9
A private shop owner or trader in the Soviet Union during the 1920s
  • noun
  • Archaic
: Nepman
  • During the 1920s, the Nepman thrived by navigating the new economic policies and expanding his trade network.

And they even used a kind of semi anglicized slang phrase, Nepmen, The Nepmen.

Examples

  • As the novel's preeminent Nepman and a Jew, he is very different from the old-fashioned Russian merchants who also have a place in the novel.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And they even used a kind of semi anglicized slang phrase, Nepmen, The Nepmen.

  • Many Nepmen emerged in the Soviet Union, capitalizing on the opportunities offered by the New Economic Policy.

  • The Nepman was influential in the marketplace, often negotiating deals that benefited both his business and the local economy.

Surface Forms

Nepman singular
Nepmen plural

Etymology

Nepman comes from the Soviet abbreviation NEP ('New Economic Policy') plus the word man meaning 'person'. So a Nepman was someone who ran a small private shop or business during the 1920s NEP, which is why the word means a private trader of that time.