czar

American  

[zahr, tsahr] / zɑr, tsɑr /

Or tsar,

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.

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czar British  

/ zɑː /

noun

1. a variant spelling (esp US) of tsar

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czar Cultural  

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.

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Discover More

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

Etymology

Origin of czar

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

Eventually, the president put White House border czar Tom Homan in charge in Minnesota.

From The Wall Street Journal

“In the next week, we are going to deploy those officers here on detail back to their home stations or other areas of the country where they are needed,” Border czar Tom Homan said Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal

Michtom, who emigrated in 1888 from an impoverished shtetl in the Russian Pale of Settlement, noted that the czar “was never that humanitarian.”

From The Wall Street Journal

And multiple other missteps followed, including the botched hiring and early departure of a rebuilding czar.

From Los Angeles Times

She has also faced criticism over her handling of the rebuilding effort, including her selection of a recovery czar who left after 90 days.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ruler