Tzars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A title of high nobility in Russia and other Slavic countries, often used to refer to emperors or monarchs in historical contexts
2. A ruler or sovereign with significant power, especially in the context of Russian governance ; historically the title signifies the authority over vast territories
3. Referring to a past imperial leader in Eastern Europe who held a position of political strength and command over the populace

Etymology: "Tzars" is simply the plural of "tzar", so its history is the history of that base word. "Tzar" comes from the Russian "tsar'", a title that was adopted from the Slavic-speaking world's use of Caesar, the Roman name that became a generic word for a supreme ruler. The title passed into Russian as the designation of its sovereigns, and it is the form most English readers meet in histories of the Russian empire. Because "tzars" is plural, it refers to more than one holder of the title, as in a group of rulers across Russian history. The spelling "tzar" with a "tz" is one of several transliterations of the same Cyrillic word, alongside "tsar" and "czar", which is why readers encounter all three.

Synonyms: emperors, monarchs, rulers, kings, sovereigns

Antonyms: subjects, commoners, peasants, followers, citizens