vizier
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vizier
1555–65; < Turkish vezīr < Arabic wazīr
Explanation
In ancient monarchies, a vizier was a very high-ranking official. During the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Vizier was the sultan's representative in the government. A historian would tell you that the earliest viziers were the nobles who served Egyptian pharaohs as long ago as 2700 BCE. The term itself appeared much later, though — around 1570 CE. The origins of vizier go back to an Arabic word, wazir, which means "one who bears the burden of government office."
Vocabulary lists containing vizier
Ancient Egypt - Middle School and High School
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Words Relating to Islam
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Muslim Empires and the Middle East - High School
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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.
Those selected to serve in the palace at the end of their training often rose to occupy important positions, including Grand Vizier.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
“He rightly senses that the end could be near,” said Arif Rafiq, president of Vizier Consulting, a political risk advisory company in New York.
From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2022
After meeting the Grand Vizier, he receives a studio on the grounds of an old palace, where his first act is one of destruction.
From The New Yorker • Nov. 19, 2018
After a brief round of pleasantries, and before the journalists had had the chance to begin on their questions, Vizier placed a stack of printouts on the table.
From The Guardian • Apr. 20, 2017
"To hear is to obey," said the Vizier, wriggling himself round a little so as to get his hinder parts further away from Rabadash's toe.
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
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.
