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czar

noun
\ ˈzÀr How to pronounce czar (audio) , ˈ(t)sÀr How to pronounce czar (audio) \
variants: or less commonly or tzar

Definition of czar

1 : emperor specifically : the ruler of Russia until the 1917 revolution
2 : one having great power or authority a banking czar
Other Words from czar Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about czar

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Other Words from czar

czardom or less commonly tsardom or tzardom \ ˈzĂ€r-​dəm How to pronounce tzardom (audio) , ˈ(t)sĂ€r-​ \ noun

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

 Future Retail is part of the Future Group, promoted by the Indian retail czar Kishore Biyani. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "Amazon has signed a deal that could give it a huge edge over Walmart in India," 23 Aug. 2019 As of last month, the city had paid $367 million for work eligible for FEMA reimbursement, according to Houston's recovery czar, Steve Costello. — Jasper Scherer, Houston Chronicle, "Houston gets $6.2 million from FEMA for Harvey vehicle repairs, replacement," 11 July 2019 Tom Bossert, a former cybersecurity czar in the Trump administration, has joined a new startup, Trinity Cyber, as chief strategy officer. — Robert Hackett, Fortune, "After Capital One, Equifax, Marriott, and the Rest, Just Assume Your Data Has Been Hacked—Cyber Saturday," 3 Aug. 2019 Pacquiao’s workout czar Justin Fortune pointed at the scene and laughed. — Greg Bishop, SI.com, "'This Would Be a Great Way to Go Out': Behind the Scenes of Pacquiao’s Win Over Thurman," 21 July 2019 The Trump administration’s antitrust czar, Makan Delrahim, said last month that misuse of antitrust law could harm competition and innovation. — Los Angeles Times, "Qualcomm gets U.S. support to pause FTC antitrust ruling," 16 July 2019 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent an invitation to Vice Premier Liu He, President Xi Jinping’s economic czar, two weeks ago asking for a fresh round of talks this month. — Lingling Wei, WSJ, "China Cancels Trade Talks With U.S. Amid Escalation in Tariff Threats," 22 Sep. 2018 A year later, in the early hours of July 17, 1918, the former czar, his wife, and their five children were brutally executed at the hands of the radical socialist Bolsheviks. — Heather Finn, Good Housekeeping, "What 'The Last Czars' Cast Looks Like vs. the Real-Life Romanov Family," 8 July 2019 To cite one: The panel encouraged CBP to create a discipline czar, a high-level official who could track all the misconduct and corruption cases and keep the agency’s commissioner informed about them. — A.c. Thompson, ProPublica, "Years Ago, the Border Patrol’s Discipline System Was Denounced as “Broken.” It’s Still Not Fixed.," 20 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'czar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of czar

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for czar

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

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More Definitions for czar

czar

noun
How to pronounce czar (audio) How to pronounce czar (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of czar

: the title of the ruler of Russia before 1917
: a very powerful person in a particular business or activity
—used as an unofficial title for the person who is in charge of a government office or department

See the full definition for czar in the English Language Learners Dictionary

czar

noun
\ ˈzÀr\

Kids Definition of czar

: the ruler of Russia before 1917

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More from Merriam-Webster on czar

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with czar

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for czar

Spanish Central: Translation of czar

Nglish: Translation of czar for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of czar for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about czar

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