dynasty
noun
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Dynasty Has Greek Roots
Dynasty has had quite the run in English. For over 600 years it’s been used to refer to a ruling family that maintains power generation after generation. At the time dynasty was first used in English, for example, England was in the midst of rule by the Plantagenet dynasty, whose line of succession provided 14 kings, from Henry II to Richard III. 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 sports franchises that have prolonged runs of successful seasons, divine right not required. Technically, any team is capable of becoming this type of dynasty, including not only Kings and Royals, but also Ducks.
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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.”
Examples of dynasty in a Sentence
Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
After that, the wider region was ruled by two Macedonian empires: Egypt’s Ptolemaic kingdom, a dynasty founded by Ptolemy I Soter in 305 B.C.E., and the Seleucid kingdom, founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 312 B.C.E. Both founders had served as generals under Alexander the Great.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
The series will also explore the dark side of the 1990s series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Taylor Armstrong alleging abuse by her late husband; an expose of the Von Erichs’ wrestling dynasty; and a episode about fan stalkers.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
The Huskies lost the way a championship team is supposed lose, with honor, the way the Yankees run of titles ended in Arizona in Game 7 in 2001, the way various NBA or NFL dynasties have ended, with another team rising up to the level to end it, nothing surrendered.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dynasty
Cite this Entry
“Dynasty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasty. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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dynasty
noun
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