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 This would eventually lead to the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026 That war ended in a humiliating defeat by an enemy regarded as much weaker, and many tsarist officials blamed the outcome on Japanese spies and saboteurs. — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for czarist

Adjective

The citizens group hoping to reform Connecticut’s oppressive property tax system will release its recommendations Monday, hoping to force candidates for state offices to take positions during the final push toward Election Day.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
If Chrissie represents someone who opts into the ruling system, Paul’s character shows that there are choices even within this world’s oppressive parameters.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

Meanwhile, Democrats are strongly opposed to the kind of corrupt authoritarian government that Republicans seem unwilling to even speak out against.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Many international scholars have described Mao as an authoritarian leader, pointing to his centralized rule, political purges, and aggressive state campaigns, including the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of authoritarian

Adjective

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found al-Faraj’s detention arbitrary, according to a report published in December 2024.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026
Someone set the arbitrary number at ten, and the whole point of the exercise is to whittle the list down to ten.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party took power following the popular ouster in 2024 of autocratic former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whom India granted sanctuary, deepening the rift between the neighbors.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Instead, the board should function as a concert of great powers, both democratic and autocratic, tasked with managing crises and overseeing and building consensus on matters of global governance.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of autocratic

Adjective

Any transgression of new standards of speech and behavior could put someone at risk of social banishment, in the truly despotic shape of cancellation.

— Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
The comedy of errors that follows as Ina attempts to solve the nation’s problems, from traffic congestion to energy crisis, doubles as a critique of the despotic regime and the tumult of living in such hellish times.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of despotic

Adjective

But the guards did not become tyrannical, as in the Stanford experiment.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Putting your face on the passport, like forcing your name onto another President’s memorial, is a symptom of tyrannical egotism, exactly opposite to the republican premise.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 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

Polly, who has choreographed the family’s public image with the dictatorial control of a George Balanchine, isn’t pleased to learn that her daughter has laid the fault of her brother’s tragedy on her parents’ right-wing politics.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Standing before her guards, the increasingly dictatorial ruler proclaims herself as the Chosen One to the people of King's Landing.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of dictatorial

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“Czarist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/czarist. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of czarist

adjective

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