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

Underneath a sky of wildfire smoke and haze, the teams played through four hydration breaks, injury stoppages, oppressive summer heat and a patchy pitch.

— Meg Linehan, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Tenet is a collection of Nolan’s most frustrating habits cranked to 11 — from an oppressive soundscape that eclipses dialogue, to stylish yet flat characters, to a narrative that’s confusingly twisty to the point of contortion.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

Socialism is an expansive term, applicable both to Scandinavian social democracies with strong private sectors and to authoritarian Communist regimes.

— James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
The data shows that democracies are overrepresented at the World Cup and also tend to do better than authoritarian nations – but does that matter?

— John A. Tures, Fortune, 19 July 2026

Definition of authoritarian

Adjective

In previous work, Sarkar and his colleagues developed a method capable of self-testing arbitrary quantum states and measurements.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Retirement experts caution, though, that any arbitrary savings goal is of limited use, more a guidepost than a hard target.

— Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 18 July 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

My answer focuses on the role of autocratic political elites – that is, the party officials, military officers and other regime insiders who control the state.

— José Kaire, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule of the Assad family, which ended when former President Bashar Assad was ousted in an insurgent offensive in December 2024 led by al-Sharaa.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026

Definition of autocratic

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

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
Earth’s fighters team up to stop the tyrannical emperor Shao Kahn, with the help of the deadly Edenian princess Kitana.

— Arushi Jacob, Variety, 17 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

As pointed out by Cox, Zagallo was only brought in as manager in the March of 1970 after his predecessor, Saldanha, had fallen out with Brazil’s dictatorial president Emilio Medici.

— Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Perhaps, no seriously, this is the continuation of the overshadowing dictatorial style coming from Washington, as evidenced flowing through the Paramount takeover of CBS and the subsequent displacement of other highly qualified CBS talent.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026

Definition of dictatorial

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“Czarist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/czarist. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of czarist

adjective

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