How did Vladimir Lenin define the difference between socialism and communism?

In his work The State and Revolution (1917), Vladimir Lenin defined the distinction between socialism and communism by adopting the two-phase framework originally proposed by Karl Marx in his Critique of the Gotha Programme.1

Lenin asserted that these terms correspond to the two stages of development following the overthrow of capitalism:1

• Socialism: Lenin identified this as the first, or transitional, phase of communist society. During this period, the working class controls the government and the economy, but society must still compensate individuals based on the duration, intensity, or quality of their labor.1
• Communism: This represents the second, fully realized phase. In this stage, society is free from class divisions and the state itself. Production and distribution are governed by the principle: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."1

By reinforcing this distinction, Lenin and the Bolsheviks sought to clarify the trajectory of the revolutionary state, ultimately identifying their movement and the resulting Soviet system with the broader goal of achieving communism.1