czar

Or tsar,

[zahr, tsahr]

noun

1. an emperor or king.

2. (often initial capital letter),  the former emperor of Russia.

3. an autocratic ruler or leader.

4. any person exercising great authority or power in a particular field.

   a czar of industry.

czar

/ zɑː /

noun

1. a variant spelling (esp US) of tsar

czar

1. The title of rulers or emperors of Russia from the sixteenth century until the Russian Revolution. The czars ruled as absolute monarchs (see absolute monarchy) until the early twentieth century, when a parliament was established in Russia. Czar can also be spelled tsar.

The term czar is sometimes applied generally to a powerful leader or to a government administrator with wide-ranging powers.

Other Word Forms

• czardom noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of czar¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Russian tsar', Old Russian tsĭsarĭ “emperor, king” (akin to Old Church Slavonic tsěsarĭ ), from Gothic kaisar “emperor” (from Greek or Latin ); Greek kaîsar, from Latin Caesar; Caesar ( def. )

Example Sentences

Inside the White House, he is already thought of as America’s college sports czar.

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“I’m saying it not only as the border czar, I’m saying it as a Catholic.”

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I have no love for czars, but control often passes to political systems that are much worse.

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“Back in the time of the czars, or Stalin, Russia’s great strength was that it was so big that it could always just absorb invading armies,” said retired Lt.

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Cooperating with Russia placed a brake on successive czars.

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Related Words

• ruler