What does vezir mean?
Vezir is a rare English spelling of vizier, a title for a high-ranking minister or official in the Ottoman Empire. Its best-known referent was the grand vezir, the senior minister who supervised the empire's central administration and stood immediately below the sultan in the hierarchy of government. The word is encountered mainly in historical works, translations, and discussions of Ottoman political institutions rather than in contemporary conversation. In English it can also appear more broadly in references to senior advisers, but its strongest association remains with the Ottoman office. Vezir entered English through Ottoman Turkish, where the term was borrowed from Arabic wazir. The more familiar spelling vizier represents the same title, as does wazir in South Asian English. Knowing vezir therefore reveals both the terminology of Ottoman government and the word's uncommon route into English through Turkish and Arabic.
nounA high-ranking official or minister in the Ottoman Empire, especially the grand vezir, who held the foremost ministerial office in the imperial government.
- A high-ranking Ottoman minister or official, especially the grand vezir.
"The grand vezir received the ambassador in the palace courtyard."
"The grand vezir advised the sultan on matters of government."
"Accounts of the ceremony describe the vezir carrying a ceremonial staff before the assembled court."
The plural is vezirs and is used chiefly in historical contexts.
"Several vezirs served as advisers to successive Ottoman rulers."
The vezir stood near the center of Ottoman government: the grand vezir was one of the empire's highest-ranking officials.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of vezir
English vezir comes from Ottoman Turkish vezir, a borrowing of the Arabic title wazir. The office and title developed within the Ottoman governmental system, with the grand vizier serving as the most senior minister. English acquired both the rarer spelling vezir and the more familiar spelling vizier from this Turkish-mediated form; wazir reflects the closely related Arabic and South Asian usage.
Related word forms
How vezir is actually used
Vezir is a rare, chiefly historical English variant of vizier. In modern writing, vizier is much more familiar, while vezir often evokes the Ottoman Empire explicitly.
Easily confused with vezir
Vezir is a rare English spelling variant of vizier; both words denote the same Ottoman ministerial title.