dynasty

noun

dy·​nas·​ty ˈdī-nə-stē How to pronounce dynasty (audio)
 also  -ˌna-stē,
 especially British  ˈdi-nə-stē
plural dynasties
1
: a succession of rulers of the same line of descent (see descent sense 1a)
a dynasty that ruled China for nearly 300 years
2
: a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time
born into a powerful political dynasty
a baseball dynasty
dynastic adjective
dynastically adverb

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Dynasty Has Greek Roots

Dynasty has had quite the run in English. For over 600 years it’s been used to refer to a ruling family that maintains power generation after generation. At the time dynasty was first used in English, for example, England was in the midst of rule by the Plantagenet dynasty, whose line of succession provided 14 kings, from Henry II to Richard III. Around the beginning of the 19th century, the word developed the figurative sense “a group or family that dominates a particular field for generations.” Nowadays, this sense of dynasty is often applied to sports franchises that have prolonged runs of successful seasons, divine right not required. Technically, any team is capable of becoming this type of dynasty, including not only Kings and Royals, but also Ducks.

Did you know?

Sports Dynasties

Dynasty has been in use in English for over 600 years, for most of that time referring to a ruling family that maintains power through succession. Around the beginning of the 19th century, the word developed the figurative sense “a group or family that dominates a particular field for generations.” Nowadays, this sense of dynasty is often applied to a sports franchise which has a prolonged run of successful seasons. The sports use appears to have begun in the early 20th century. An article in The Washington Post in 1905 refers to “John T. Brush’s baseball dynasty,” and by 1912 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that “if players were free agents at the end of every two years, baseball dynasties such as those built up by the Cubs, Athletics, Detroits and Giants would not be possible.”

Examples of dynasty in a Sentence

a dynasty that ruled China for nearly 300 years There was a civil war during the dynasty. She was born into a powerful political dynasty.
Recent Examples on the Web Having grown up in a house with traditional Chinese furniture and decor, Lee says she’s exceedingly intrigued by ceramics from the Song dynasty (960-1279). Grace Xue, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024 There are no players remaining from the Maya Moore-Lindsay Whalen-Seimone Augustus dynasty of the 2010s. Nick Halter, Axios, 22 Sep. 2024 The 1858 Treaty of Aigun was a treaty between the Qing dynasty — China’s last dynasty — and the Russian Empire that ceded around 600,000 square kilometers of land in Manchuria to Russia. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2024 The myth begins in the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.), when China was suffering from extreme heat and unsavory conditions that saw crops dry up and villagers perish under the sun. Michelle Tchea, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dynasty 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dynasty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dynastia, dynastie "power, sovereignty, succession of rulers," borrowed from Medieval Latin dynastīa, going back to Late Latin, "rule, power," borrowed from Greek dynasteía "arbitrarily exercised political power, lordship, rule," from dynástēs "holder of political power, lord, ruler" + -eia -y entry 2 — more at dynast

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dynasty was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near dynasty

Cite this Entry

“Dynasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasty. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

dynasty

noun
dy·​nas·​ty ˈdī-nə-stē How to pronounce dynasty (audio)
 also  -ˌnas-tē
plural dynasties
: a succession of rulers of the same line of descent
dynastic adjective
dynastically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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