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

Etymology

Origin of dynastic

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

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

Dynastic families remain important in politics: Nearly a third of new members of Parliament have had a relative in elective office or a prominent party position, according to one study.

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2023

Dynastic queens also often ruled when the designated heir was just a child.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Dynastic wars dominate "Game of Thrones" but the presence of dragons and their political significance comes to the fore in "House of the Dragon."

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2022

Dynastic politics dates back to 1898, when the U.S. colonized the Philippines, spawning a scramble by wealthy Filipinos to buy plantations and concentrate power within a small number of favored families.

From Washington Times • May 4, 2022

But it is time I read you extracts from the earlier extant portions of the Sumerian Dynastic List, in order to illustrate the class of document with which we are dealing.

From Legends of Babylon and Egypt in relation to Hebrew tradition by King, L. W. (Leonard William)