tsar

[ zahr, tsahr ]

noun

1. a variant of czar.

tsar

/ tsɑː; zɑː /

noun

1. (until 1917) the emperor of Russia
2. a tyrant; autocrat
3. informal.
   a public official charged with responsibility for dealing with a certain problem or issue

   a drugs tsar

4. informal.
   a person in authority; leader
5. (formerly) any of several S Slavonic rulers, such as any of the princes of Serbia in the 14th century

Derived Forms

• ˈtsardom, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tsar¹

from Russian tsar , via Gothic kaisar from Latin Caesar

Example Sentences

He tapped veteran immigration official Tom Homan as his "border tsar"; selected South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to oversee homeland security; and appointed Steven Miller as White House deputy chief of staff for policy.

From BBC

Now he’s back with an even broader portfolio, as Trump’s “immigration tsar”.

From BBC

But it is not yet clear how his role as "border tsar" will take shape, as managing immigration involves coordination among several government agencies.

From BBC

Republicans have used that brief to claim she was the “border tsar”, and therefore responsible for the record high rates of illegal border crossings in recent years.

From BBC

Around 100 cities now have some form of “night mayor” or “night tsar” in place, to spur this work.

From BBC

Related Words

• ruler