The novel 4-(4-oxo-2-arylthiazolidin-3-yl)benzenesulfonamide derivatives were designed and synthesized for selective carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) inhibitory activity with anticancer potential. In the CA inhibition assay, 3f was found to be the most potent and selective inhibitor of CA IX with inhibitory constant (K(I)) value of 2.2 nM. Among the synthesized compounds, 3f showed IC₅₀ values of 5.03 μg/ml (cisplatin: 6.56 μg/ml), 5.81 μg/ml (cisplatin: 5.85 μg/ml), and 23.93 μg/ml (cisplatin: 2.75 μg/ml) against COLO-205, MDA-MB-231, and DU-145 cell lines, respectively. At IC₅₀, 3f caused cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, and nuclear fragmentation events characteristic to apoptosis in the Hoechst 33258 and acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining studies of COLO-205 cells. In the Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA) solid tumor model 3f decreased tumor volume by 64.83% (cisplatin: 71.62%), while increase in mean body weight was found to be only 4.09% (cisplatin: 3.47%).