czar·ism
ˈzär-ˌi-zəm 
ˈ(t)sär-
ˈ(t)sär-
variants
or less commonly tsarism
or tzarism
1
: the government of Russia under the czars
2
: autocratic rule
variants
or less commonly tsarist
or czaristic
or tsaristic
(ˈ)zär-¦i-stik
(ˈ)(t)sär-
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a czar or czarism
the czarist autocracy—
Walter Lippmann
Walter Lippmanncomparisons … between the immediate security objectives of the Soviet Union and those of the czarist regime—C. E. Black
: dictatorial
C. E. Blackgives Bevin czarist powers to shift men and women as he will—Fortune
FortuneExamples of czarism in a Sentence
Noun (1)
historically, during times of national crisis, people have looked to czarism as an answer to their fears
Recent Examples on the Web
Douglas Smith, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022
The difference between czarism and Leninism is the one between absolutism and totalitarianism.
—Josef Joffe, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2017
With the collapse of czarism, this commitment to gradual reform and the development of parliamentary institutions seemed outdated.
—Carolyn Harris, Smithsonian, 13 Apr. 2017
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Noun
Like so many at the time, Paustovsky had hopes of a democratic future with the end of czarism.
—Douglas Smith, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022
The difference between czarism and Leninism is the one between absolutism and totalitarianism.
—Josef Joffe, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2017
With the collapse of czarism, this commitment to gradual reform and the development of parliamentary institutions seemed outdated.
—Carolyn Harris, Smithsonian, 13 Apr. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Czarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/czarism. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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