tsar
Americannoun
noun
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(until 1917) the emperor of Russia
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a tyrant; autocrat
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informal a public official charged with responsibility for dealing with a certain problem or issue
a drugs tsar
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informal a person in authority; leader
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(formerly) any of several S Slavonic rulers, such as any of the princes of Serbia in the 14th century
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tsar
from Russian tsar , via Gothic kaisar from Latin Caesar
Explanation
In Russia, the tsar was the supreme male monarch, or king. The last Russian tsar was overthrown in 1917 — but you can still use this word for the head of a big government program. In the tenth century, tsar or czar was the title of certain Slavic and Eastern European monarchs, and from 1547 until the Russian Revolution, a tsar also ruled over Russia. The word comes from the Latin caesar, or "emperor," a title inspired by Julius Caesar. Tsar is used metaphorically for someone heading up a special government project, like the climate tsar President Obama appointed or the oil tsar hired by President Roosevelt.
Vocabulary lists containing tsar
Russia - Introductory
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Russia - Middle School and High School
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Absolutism and Enlightenment, Lessons 1–4
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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.
EU tech tsar Henna Virkkunen will unveil the new "technological sovereignty" package in Brussels, including new rules on chips, cloud computing and AI.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
"We need to develop our own capacities. We cannot allow someone trying to influence our own decisions, our own values, our own well-functioning economy and services," EU competition tsar Teresa Ribera said this month.
From Barron's • May 30, 2026
"Terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users -- including children," said EU tech tsar Henna Virkkunen.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
In the wake of Pretti's shooting, the Trump administration removed Gregory Bovino, the US border patrol chief, from Minneapolis and replaced him with border tsar Tom Homan.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
“After that, the tsar was very angry at dragons,” Dobrynya said.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
