tzar

Tzar is an alternative transliteration of the title czar or tsar, used in English to refer to certain rulers of Russia or to designate a person in a position of broad, centralized authority. The word conveys the sense of a sovereign with imperial prerogatives, and its usage varies by language and period. In English-language writing, czar and tsar are the more common forms, while tzar appears less frequently and is often found in older texts or in specific publications.

Etymology and historical usage: The term derives from the Russian царь (tsar’), itself from the Latin Caesar via the Greek Kaisar, and originally meant emperor or king. In Russia, the title began to be used in the 16th century, with Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) adopting the form commonly rendered in English as tsar. The title remained associated with Russian rulers until the monarchy’s collapse in 1917. In modern English, czar or tsar is typically used to refer to the rulers of Russia before 1917, though some contemporary writers retain czar as a general symbol of autocratic power. Peter the Great sometimes used the title Emperor (imperator) for formal purposes, but the traditional term remained in common English usage for much of Russian history.

Spelling variants and modern usage: Czars or tsars are also used in contemporary contexts outside Russia to describe officials who coordinate policy in a specific domain, such as a “drug czar” or “energy czar.” The form tzar is a recognized variant but less common today; it may appear in historical writings or as a stylistic choice. Overall, czar/tsar remains the standard transliteration for Russia’s imperial rulers in most modern English sources.