ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dynasty

n.
US //ˈdaɪnəsti// UK //dˈɪnɐsti// dy·nasty
  1. 1 ruling family (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a series of rulers who all belong to the same family.

    a succession of people from the same family who play a prominent role in business, politics, or government.

    Example

    The Ming dynasty ruled China for almost three hundred years.

    Example

    The political dynasty maintained its grip on the province for three generations, with each successor expanding the family's industrial influence.
  2. 2 successful sports team (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Sport

    a sports team that wins many championships over several years.

    a sports franchise or team that achieves a prolonged period of dominance and multiple championships.

    Example

    With three titles in four years, the team has become a true dynasty.

    Example

    Sports historians often debate whether the team's decade of dominance constitutes a true dynasty or merely a sequence of fortunate seasons.
  3. 3 historical era (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    the period of time when a particular family was in power.

    the historical period during which a specific family or line of rulers held sovereign power.

    Example

    Many beautiful vases were created during that specific dynasty.

    Example

    The transition between dynasties was marked by significant civil unrest and a complete restructuring of the imperial bureaucracy.
Origin

Borrowed from Middle French dynastie, from Late Latin dynastia, from Ancient Greek δυναστεία (dunasteía, “power, dominion”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 20, 2026