variants
also tsarist
or tzarist
as in authoritarian
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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
-
There’s a moving moment of magnanimity, which won’t be given away here, that proves the underlying dignity of a people broken by an authoritarian state.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The plot of His Dark Materials is driven by the long-running conflict between Pullman’s heroine, a bold, lithely intelligent 11-year-old named Lyra, and the Magisterium, an authoritarian incarnation of Christianity.—
Lev Grossman,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The autocratic czarist regime ruled with an iron hand and suppressed opposition through censorship, banishment, and executions.—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
-
As with previous generations of Russians under autocratic rule, from tsarism to Soviet communism, there was no purpose in worrying about the causes of the storm.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Especially right now, when most of whatever happens next would seem to be determined by arbitrary and despotic centers of earthly power.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The emergency has become the rule, transforming exceptional powers into the ordinary machinery of despotic governance.—
Beatriz Magaloni,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Here are some of the absolute best neighborhoods in metro Phoenix for trick-or-treating in 2025.—
Endia Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
24 Oct. 2025
-
This plaid jacket is an absolute standout in fall outerwear—already a best-seller with over 1,000 purchases in the past month.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Her anxiety stems from her domineering mother (Barbara Hershey) and rival dancer (Mila Kunis) who may or may not be after her part in the ballet.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
And one of the reasons the film doesn’t succeed is Meryl Streep’s grotesque performance as the filterless, domineering matriarch.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Players land on the planet Kairos, which is being ruled by a tyrannical dictator called the Timekeeper.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Scott's most recent projects include the 2024 sequel Gladiator II, which starred Paul Mescal as the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus, who squares off against tyrannical twin emperors.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
These tyrannous tabbies don’t understand that canning is not exclusively for wet food.—
Julie Klausner,
Vulture,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Indeed, Daniel Roher’s pulse-pumping documentary about the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has all the ingredients: a mysterious case of near-fatal poisoning, a web of for-hire hoodlums, Vladimir Putin as the tyrannous leader behind it all.—
Tomris Laffly,
Harper's BAZAAR,
1 Feb. 2022
Adjective
-
Trump is unconventional, but not dictatorial.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The meeting was especially notable considering Putin’s long-standing backing of Al-Sharaa’s predecessor, Bashar al-Assad, whose dictatorial regime was ousted by rebel forces in December.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Czarist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/czarist. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share