Word
tsar
US/ˈtsɑɹ/
UK/tsˈɑː/
Definition
n. a powerful leader or a person in charge of a specific area. It was also the title for the kings of Russia in the past.
n. an emperor or king, specifically the former rulers of Russia; in modern usage, a high-ranking government official with broad authority over a specific policy area.
Examples
“The government appointed a new energy tsar to handle the crisis.”
“After the revolution, the last Russian tsar was removed from power and the monarchy ended.”
“While the historical title evokes absolute monarchy, the modern policy tsar often struggles to coordinate between competing departments that possess their own independent budgets and agendas.”
Examples
simple
“The government appointed a new energy tsar to handle the crisis.”
contextual
“After the revolution, the last Russian tsar was removed from power and the monarchy ended.”
complex
“While the historical title evokes absolute monarchy, the modern policy tsar often struggles to coordinate between competing departments that possess their own independent budgets and agendas.”
Usage
Often used metaphorically in modern political journalism to describe a person with singular authority over a task.
Real-World Examples
“Trump’s call for an AI czar comes after many Republicans have rejected his hands-off approach.” “In Iceland, the eclipse czar is broken-hearted over the weather.” Etymology
Etymology tree Latin Caesarbor. Proto-Germanic *kaisarazder. Proto-Slavic *cěsařь Old East Slavic цѣсарь (cěsarĭ) Old East Slavic цьсарь (cĭsarĭ) Russian царь (carʹ)bor. English tsar Borrowed from Russian царь (carʹ), from Old East Slavic цьсарь (cĭsarĭ), from Proto-Slavic cěsařь, from a Germanic language, from Proto-Germanic kaisaraz, from Latin Caesar. Doublet of Caesar and Kaiser. The spelling tsar began to replace the older czar in the nineteenth century. Compare Byzantine Greek Τζαῖσαρ (Tzaîsar).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tsar