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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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.”

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Dynasty Has Greek Roots

Dynast and dynasty both descend from the Greek verb dynasthai, which means "to be able" or "to have power." Dynasty came to prominence in English first; it has been part of our language since at least the 14th century. Dynast took its place in the linguistic family line in the early 1600s, and it has been used to describe sovereigns and other rulers ever since.

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 The Ambani dynasty is well-known for extravagant wedding festivities. Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 2 Mar. 2024 And with that game, Squaresoft and PlayStation created a dynasty; 27 years later, it’s still considered the pinnacle of the franchise, and for good reason. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 The county’s 4th District is home to Supervisor Janice Hahn, part of a political dynasty headlined for four decades by her father, Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, and also including her brother, a former city controller, city attorney and mayor. James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The play traces the evolution of our country’s economy, arcing in parallel with a great American dynasty. Sophia Nguyen, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 The three-time Super Bowl MVP delivered a quick pass to the receiver, Hardman gathering the ball in and heading toward the pylon for a short 3-yard score that will be long remembered as the play that cemented K.C. as the NFL’s newest dynasty. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 The Italian yachting dynasty, which famously established the Rossinavi shipyard in 1980, just launched a new brand named Nolimits. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024 Like Paul, the Harkonnen prince is the descendant of a great galactic dynasty. EW.com, 20 Feb. 2024 The Reds lost the World Series in five games to to the Baltimore Orioles that year and fell to the Oakland A’s (another dynasty of the 1970s) two years later. Alex Williams, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

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

Dictionary Entries Near dynasty

Cite this Entry

“Dynasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasty. Accessed 28 Mar. 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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