dynasty

[ dahy-nuh-stee; British also din-uh-stee ]

/ ˈdaɪ nə sti; British also ˈdɪn ə sti /

noun, plural dy·nas·ties.

a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group: the Ming dynasty.

the rule of such a sequence.

a series of members of a family who are distinguished for their success, wealth, etc.

Origin of dynasty

1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin dynastīa < Greek dynasteia. See dynast, -y³

Related forms

dy·nas·tic

[dahy-nas-tik; British also dih-nas-tik] /daɪˈnæs tɪk; British also dɪˈnæs tɪk/, dy·nas·ti·cal, adjectivedy·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverban·ti·dy·nas·tic, adjectivean·ti·dy·nas·ti·cal, adjective

an·ti·dy·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverban·ti·dy·nas·ty, adjectivenon·dy·nas·tic, adjectivenon·dy·nas·ti·cal, adjectivenon·dy·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dynastic

But some of the most obvious places where dynastic power can be seen are on the executive side of the business.
Trustafarians Want to Tell You How to Live|Joel Kotkin|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Might that be Hafsat herself, a dynastic political power and dedicated public servant already?
The Nigerian Women Who Fight for Democracy|Nina Strochlic|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The dynastic choice is the only viable one,” wrote director Alessandro Sallusti.
Could Silvio Berlusconi’s Daughter Take Over Italy, Too?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|May 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Russian Revolution summed everything up in an instant: in place of dynastic rule, absolutism of a different kind.
Can We Divorce Our Elites?|James Poulos|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It turns the focus to the inner lives of three young women caught in the dynastic soap opera.
This Week’s Hot Reads: July 2, 2012|Mythili Rao|July 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The dynastic question was far from being the principal one in the eyes of the nobles.
A History of Spain|Charles E. Chapman
The death of Charles V. and dynastic revolutions in England stopped the war for thirty-five years.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 7|Various
Their dynastic ambition has been made a convenient battle-cry to cover their crimes.
The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg,|Alexander Michie
Indeed, for the dynastic period, the agreement of these old Sumerian lists with the chronological system of Berossus is striking.
Legends Of Babylon And Egypt|Leonard W. King
These scarabs have not been found in the early Dynastic graves.
Ancient Man in Britain|Donald A. (Donald Alexander) Mackenzie

British Dictionary definitions for dynastic

dynasty

/ (ˈdɪnəstɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a sequence of hereditary rulersan Egyptian dynasty

any sequence of powerful leaders of the same familythe Kennedy dynasty

Derived Formsdynastic (dɪˈnæstɪk) or dynastical, adjectivedynastically, adverb

Word Origin for dynasty

C15: via Late Latin from Greek dunasteia, from dunastēs dynast

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dynastic (1 of 2)

dynastic

adj.

1800; see dynasty + -ic.

Word Origin and History for dynastic (1 of 2)

dynasty

mid-15c. (earlier dynastia, late 14c.), from Middle French dynastie and directly from Late Latin dynastia, from Greek dynasteia "power, lordship, sovereignty," from dynastes "ruler, chief," from dynasthai "have power."

dynasty

noun, plural dy·nas·ties.

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Nearby words

Origin of dynasty

Examples from the Web for dynastic

British Dictionary definitions for dynastic

dynasty

noun plural -ties

Word Origin for dynasty

Word Origin and History for dynastic (1 of 2)

dynastic

Word Origin and History for dynastic (1 of 2)

dynasty