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

On the blunderous hiring and quick departure of a rebuilding czar.

From Los Angeles Times

White House AI czar David Sacks said Thursday that the government planned to keep laws protecting children’s safety but target certain state regulations deemed onerous.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fabergé egg owned by Russian czar’s mother sells for $30 million.

From MarketWatch

I was reminded of the modern czar’s historically animated ambitions by a report in the news pages of the Journal last week.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ruler