CZARIST Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

czarist

adjective

variants also tsarist or tzarist

Definition of czarist

as in oppressive

exercising power or authority without interference by others the trustees felt that the university needed a strong, czarist leader who could propel it to world-class status

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of czarist In Russia, czarist monuments were replaced by statues of Communist leaders, which in turn were torn down — statues of Stalin also fell in Hungary, Georgia and Albania. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026 Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists. — Benjamin Nathans september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025 Since tsarist times, Russia has ensured Armenia’s loyalty by promising to defend it against the Ottoman Empire (and then against its successor, Turkey) with sustained military support. — Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for czarist

Adjective

This stretch of eastern Long Island has long been a respite for New Yorkers seeking a seaside reprieve from the oppressive heat.

— Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
Alongside health advice, state media has repeatedly returned to a familiar propaganda theme — Kim’s willingness to endure the same oppressive weather faced by ordinary North Koreans.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

The island’s very existence—a prosperous, democratic Chinese society integrated with the West—offers a stinging rebuke to the claim that authoritarian rule is uniquely suited to the Chinese people.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
The reason is that protesters fear that the Republic of Georgia will continue following an authoritarian path similar to Russia’s, crushing their hopes and dreams of being another Western-style democracy that is a member of NATO and the EU.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of authoritarian

Adjective

The Geneva Conventions, a set of treaties governing the conduct of warring parties, which were ratified in the aftermath of the Second World War, forbid the arbitrary detention of civilians.

— Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
But many residents believed the resulting assessment calculations were arbitrary, according to Ben Glickman, vice chair of the LLAD advisory committee.

— Haley Parsley August 9, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

Loss of credibility leads to loss of legitimacy in a despotic regime.

— Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
The pretence of an absolute, irresistible, despotic power, existing in every government somewhere, is incompatible with the first principle of natural right.

— Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Definition of despotic

Adjective

Ayatollah Khomeini portrayed the shah as the tyrannical Yazid and himself as a Husayn-like figure returning from exile to save the Iranian people from injustice.

— Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
The Hawaiians viewed the new rules as tyrannical; those with the disease were wont to hide in the hills of the islands, forever on the run.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

Definition of tyrannical

Adjective

These tyrannous tabbies don’t understand that canning is not exclusively for wet food.

— Julie Klausner, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
The same study posited that Fela was not the only popular musician who confronted the military and tyrannous leaders of Nigeria between independence in 1960 and Fela’s passing in 1997.

— Garhe Osiebe, Quartz Africa, 21 Feb. 2021

Definition of tyrannous

Adjective

Standing before her guards, the increasingly dictatorial ruler proclaims herself as the Chosen One to the people of King's Landing.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
In 2024, Margo is hired to find the book that disappeared, along with many others, through the dictatorial years.

— The Know, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of dictatorial

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“Czarist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/czarist. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of czarist

adjective

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