dynasty

noun

dy·nas·ty ˈdī-nə-stē

also -ˌna-stē,

especially British ˈdi-nə-stē

plural dynasties

Synonyms of dynasty next

: a succession of rulers of the same line of descent (see descent sense 1a)

a dynasty that ruled China for nearly 300 years

: a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time

born into a powerful political dynasty

a baseball dynasty

dynastic

dī-ˈna-stik

adjective

dynastically

dī-ˈna-sti-k(ə-)lē

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.”

Example Sentences

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 15-year-old middle infielder might become the foundational piece of another Argyle dynasty. —

Shawn Mcfarland, Dallas News, 25 Apr. 2023 Green couldn’t, which is hardly surprising, no matter that his team is desperately trying to hold onto the last days of its dynasty. —

Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2023 Celtics forward Jayson Tatum halted LeBron James’s All-Star Game dynasty, but the NBA’s 72nd midseason showcase still belonged to the Lakers star. —

Ben Golliver, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Feb. 2023 Before Mark Freeman turned the Warriors into a dynasty, Josh Niblett and Hoover (another R3 team) won three titles. —

Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 14 Apr. 2023 One of the more deserving beneficiaries of this general trance was The Last Dance, a documentary ostensibly about Michael Jordan’s final title run that flashed backward to cover the entire Chicago Bulls dynasty, all its outsize characters rotating around its ruthless superstar. —

Ross Douthat, National Review, 13 Apr. 2023 The poem itself describes this situation: Enheduanna flees from a window and asks Inanna to intercede on behalf of Sargon’s dynasty. —

Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2023 The writer grew up in the suburbs of Chicago during the ‘90s, witnessing up close the unmatched fervor for Jordan and his six-championship franchise dynasty. —

J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 8 Apr. 2023 Your porcelain vase is Chinese, the decoration is hand painted, and the marks underneath are those used during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, but are tributary. —

oregonlive, 5 Apr. 2023 See More

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

See more words from the same century