czar

noun

ˈzär  ˈ(t)sär 

variants or less commonly tsar or tzar

1

: emperor

specifically : the ruler of Russia until the 1917 revolution

2

: one having great power or authority

a banking czar

czardom noun

or less commonly tsardom or tzardom

ˈzär-dəm 

ˈ(t)sär-

Synonyms

• baron
• captain
• king
• lion
• lord
• magnate
• mogul
• monarch
• Napoleon
• prince
• tycoon

Examples of czar in a Sentence

a showbiz czar who is said to be able to make or break a career

Recent Examples on the Web

Adams, who now faces federal corruption charges, appointed a rat czar in 2023 to work across multiple agencies, coordinating work by pest control companies and property managers. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024

Kennedy is more likely to have a role as a White House czar rather than one that would require Senate confirmation, the Post reported. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

If only for Penn’s explanation of Creegan’s outsize strategic importance, Trowbridge’s description of her as uniquely qualified to serve as the U.S. nuclear czar seems correct. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

She's had a chance to be the border czar and failed miserably. —ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin czar, from Russian tsar', from Old Russian tsĭsarĭ, from Goth kaisar, from Greek or Latin; Greek, from Latin Caesar — more at caesar

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

czar

noun

variants also tsar or tzar

ˈzär

1

: the ruler of Russia until the 1917 revolution

2

: one having great power or authority

a baseball czar

czardom noun

also tsardom or tzardom

ˈzärd-əm

Etymology

Latin czar "czar," from Russian tsar' (same meaning), from early Russian tsǐsarǐ, tsěsarǐ "emperor," from a Germanic word kaisar "emperor," derived from Latin Caesar (title of a line of Roman emperors after Augustus Caesar) see Word History at emperor