tsar
Americannoun
noun
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(until 1917) the emperor of Russia
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a tyrant; autocrat
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informal a public official charged with responsibility for dealing with a certain problem or issue
a drugs tsar
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informal a person in authority; leader
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(formerly) any of several S Slavonic rulers, such as any of the princes of Serbia in the 14th century
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tsar
from Russian tsar , via Gothic kaisar from Latin Caesar
Explanation
In Russia, the tsar was the supreme male monarch, or king. The last Russian tsar was overthrown in 1917 — but you can still use this word for the head of a big government program. In the tenth century, tsar or czar was the title of certain Slavic and Eastern European monarchs, and from 1547 until the Russian Revolution, a tsar also ruled over Russia. The word comes from the Latin caesar, or "emperor," a title inspired by Julius Caesar. Tsar is used metaphorically for someone heading up a special government project, like the climate tsar President Obama appointed or the oil tsar hired by President Roosevelt.
Vocabulary lists containing tsar
Russia - Introductory
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Russia - Middle School and High School
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Absolutism and Enlightenment, Lessons 1–4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While Jewish people had already been settling in the area, pogroms across Russia and neighbouring countries following the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 saw more people arrive in an already-crowded part of town.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2025
If the biggest thermonuclear weapon ever detonated — the Soviet Union’s Tsar Bomba — corresponded to the height of Mount Everest, the atomic device that flattened Hiroshima would stand just under nine feet tall.
From Salon • Oct. 8, 2023
Tsar Nicoulai farm is part of a vanguard of sturgeon farmers that includes Sterling Caviar and The Fishery Inc., which are reshaping the future of sustainable aquaculture.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 11, 2023
He is also the author of “The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin.”
From New York Times • Jul. 30, 2023
Tsar Nicholas II originally bestowed the title in 1914; it was being used in 1954 and is still awarded today.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
