a dynasty

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A series of rulers who all come from the same family and hold power over a country for many years.

   Grammar: Countable: a dynasty, several dynasties; often with a name before it, as in 'the Ming dynasty'.

   Patterns

   • the Ming dynasty
   • found a dynasty
   • the fall of a dynasty

   The Ming dynasty ruled China for almost three centuries.

   The last dynasty lost power after a long war.

   Historians still argue about why the dynasty collapsed so quickly.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A family or group that keeps power or success in one field for several generations.

   Grammar: Used of families in business, politics or sport: a political dynasty, a football dynasty.

   Patterns

   • a political dynasty
   • a family dynasty
   • build a dynasty

   The Kennedys are often described as a political dynasty.

   She built a business dynasty from one small shop.

   The coach turned the club into a football dynasty.

Word forms

Common combinations

found a dynasty

The general founded a dynasty that lasted two hundred years.

the fall of a dynasty

Paintings from the period show the fall of a dynasty.

a ruling dynasty

A ruling dynasty controlled the trade routes.

a political dynasty

Two brothers from a political dynasty ran for office.

the end of a dynasty

The crowd celebrated the end of a dynasty.

Synonyms and how they differ

empire

An empire is a group of lands ruled by one power; a dynasty is the family line of rulers, which may rule an empire.

regime

Regime means a government, often one seen as harsh; dynasty stresses that the rulers are related by blood.

Word family

dynastic adjective

Relating to a dynasty, as in dynastic marriage or dynastic rule.

Commonly confused: a dynasty or destiny?

Practice

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