kejsar

Kejsar is a Swedish noun meaning an emperor, the sovereign who rules an empire. In modern Swedish the standard form is kejsare; kejsar is now mostly found in older texts or in fixed phrases and as a stem in compounds. The female counterpart is kejsarinna, and the concept of female rule is referred to as an empress in Swedish usage.

Etymology and history of usage trace kejsar to Latin Caesar, passing through German Kaiser and Danish influences before entering Swedish. The term was popularized in the early modern period as Europeans described rulers of large political formations beyond a kingdom. Today kejsare is primarily a historical or literary label and is used when referring to rulers of ancient or foreign empires in translation or discussion rather than to contemporary Swedish kings.

In historical contexts, kejsare designated the rulers of major empires such as the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire. In East Asian and other contexts, Swedish writers have used kejsare in translated or descriptive passages for emperors of China or other states, though many such rulers are more commonly titled by their local names. The concept remains distinct from kung, the title for a king, reflecting the broader political scope of an empire. The term also appears in modern fiction and academic writing to convey imperial authority described in historical sources.

Related terms include kejsardöme (the empire), kejsarskap (the status or office of an emperor), and kejsarinna (the empress).