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• kaiser
  kaiser

  noun

  a German emperor.
• Kaiser
  Kaiser

  noun

  Henry J(ohn), 1882–1967, U.S. industrialist.

kaiser

¹ American  

[kahy-zer] / ˈkaɪ zər /

noun

• kaisers
  plural

1. a German emperor.

2. an Austrian emperor.

3. History/Historical. a ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.

4. a person who exercises or tries to exercise absolute authority; autocrat.

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Kaiser ² American  

[kahy-zer] / ˈkaɪ zər /

noun

1. Henry J(ohn), 1882–1967, U.S. industrialist.

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Kaiser ¹ British  

/ ˈkaɪzə /

noun

1. any German emperor, esp Wilhelm II (ruled 1888–1918)

2. obsolete any Austro-Hungarian emperor

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Kaiser ² British  

/ ˈkaizər /

noun

1. Georg (ˈɡeːɔrk). 1878–1945, German expressionist dramatist

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Kaiser Cultural  

1. The German word for “emperor.” The emperors of Austria and Germany were called Kaisers. (See Wilhelm II.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• kaiserdom
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• kaisers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kaiser

1150–1200; < German ≪ Latin Caesar emperor, special use of proper name ( see Caesar); replacing Middle English keisere, (north) caisere < Old Norse keisari ≪ Latin as above; compare Old English cāsere

Explanation

Historically, a kaiser was a German or Austrian emperor. In North America, it's also a delicious crusty roll. This royal title goes all the way back to the Holy Roman Emperors of the 10th century, who called themselves kaiser, from Caesar, "emperor or ruler," (a reference to Julius Caesar). The term was used throughout the German Empire, until its end in the 20th century. Kaiser rolls resemble crowns and originated in Austria, where they're known as Kaisersemmel. They're named after Austrian Kaiser Franz Joseph I, who ruled from 1848 to 1916.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kaiser Kaiser kaisers

While the kaiser could appoint or dismiss government ministers and was “consulted” on important matters, he had little or no control over the daily affairs of state.

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026

I finally found the BEC of my NYC dreams — the one served at Volunteer Park Cafe, where they make their own kaiser rolls to compensate for our sad regional deficit in that bread category.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2023

The country’s political parties had forced the kaiser to abdicate in favor of a new constitutional government, the Weimar Republic.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

Thereafter, Germany became the kaiser writ large, the nation’s aspirations an outgrowth of the kaiser’s insecurities.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 7, 2022

When war was declared, the kaiser addressed the enormous crowd that had gathered beneath his palace balcony.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

This is a big vulnerability for Mr. Jackson, since 47.5% of Mainers had employer health coverage in 2024, per the Kaiser Family Foundation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

“We are supporting affected employees as they explore other opportunities within Kaiser Permanente and, where appropriate, providing severance, career support and outplacement services,” the health plan’s statement said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

Kaiser has previously defended its arbitration system, saying it was fair for both patients and for the nonprofit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Kaiser added that the hackers have been "reckless and foolish" and warned them to expect "a significant effort by the FBI to quickly bring them to justice."

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The current feature was The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

World War I demolished empires and destroyed kings, kaisers and sultans.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2018

Latvians have fled the armies of Vikings, a Swedish king, kaisers, czars and czarinas, the general secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, and the Führer.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 10, 2017

The war destroyed kings, kaisers, czars and sultans; it demolished empires; it introduced chemical weapons, tanks and airborne bombing; it brought millions of women into the work force, hastening their legal right to vote.

From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2014

Manstein's Junker ancestors had fought for two kaisers and one czar.

From Time Magazine Archive

The old political forms of Europe—the czars, emperors and kaisers, who stood as the visible symbols of established order and civilization, were overthrown during the war.

From The American Empire by Scott Nearing