ancestry

noun

an·​ces·​try ˈan-ˌse-strē 

1

: line of descent : lineage

especially : honorable, noble, or aristocratic descent

2

: persons initiating or comprising a line of descent : ancestors

Synonyms

• birth
• blood
• bloodline
• breeding
• descent
• extraction
• family tree
• genealogy
• line
• lineage
• origin
• parentage
• pedigree
• stock
• strain

Examples of ancestry in a Sentence

They claim to be of noble ancestry.

a person of unknown ancestry

She claims to be able to trace her ancestry all the way back to the earliest settlers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Charley is Diné, with Laguna and Zuni Pueblo ancestry. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 5 June 2024

But most of this data doesn’t include information about the patient's ancestry, genetics, or identity, Radhakrishnan says. —Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 4 June 2024

The passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 — which was influenced by the civil rights movement and aimed to abolish the immigrant quota system based on nationality, race and ancestry — prompted an increase in immigration from Asian, African and Latin American countries. —Jazmine Ulloa, New York Times, 3 June 2024

Sheinbaum, the granddaughter of emigrants from Bulgaria and Lithuania, would be Mexico’s first president of Jewish ancestry, in addition to its first female president. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ancestry

noun

an·​ces·​try ˈan-ˌses-trē 

1

: line of descent

2

: one's ancestors