dynastic

American  

[dahy-nas-tik, dih-nas-tik] / daɪˈnæs tɪk, dɪˈnæs tɪk /

British also dynastical

adjective

1. of or relating to a dynasty, a sequence of rulers or other powerful or wealthy people, usually from the same family.

   Democracy, by definition, can't prohibit dynastic or corrupt rulers but it offers ways to correct or alter the situation.

   Artifacts found in the Royal Nubian burials at Qustul bear the oldest-known examples of Egyptian dynastic symbols, such as the white crown of Egypt and the falcon.

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Other Word Forms

• antidynastic
  adjective
• antidynastical
  adjective
• nondynastic
  adjective
• nondynastical
  adjective
• antidynastically
  adverb
• dynastically
  adverb
• nondynastically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of dynastic

First recorded in 1620–30, for an earlier sense; dynast(y) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

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Explanation

If something is dynastic, it has to do with rulers or leaders who inherit their position of power. A dynastic business is run by successive generations of the same family. If a country is ruled by a queen whose son will become king after she dies, that country is a dynastic monarchy. And if you know you'll become CEO of your family's trucking company, just like your father and grandmother before you, you can describe your position as dynastic. This word can be defined as "relating to a dynasty," and dynasty goes back to the Greek dynastes, "ruler," and dynasthai, "to have power."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dynastic

The Norman Conquest has traditionally been viewed largely as a dynastic crisis that followed the death of Edward the Confessor, with competing claimants fighting for control of the English throne.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Cooke said there were "lots of similarities" with Shakespeare, especially themes of "dynastic struggle, what it means to have power, intergenerational conflict and powerful families".

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

His dynastic claim was that he was a descendant of Eowa, the brother of Penda, a great Mercian warrior who had lived a hundred years before.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Built in 1395, the former royal palace is often seen as a symbol of Korean resilience through dynastic collapse, colonial rule and pro-democracy protests.

From Barron's ● Mar. 21, 2026

Born in 1063 a.d., 8-Deer was a shirttail cousin to the ruling family of Tilantongo, which had been engaged for decades in a dynastic struggle with the kingdom of Red and White Bundle.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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