ancestral

adjective

an·​ces·​tral an-ˈse-strəl 

: of, relating to, or inherited from an ancestor

ancestral estates

ancestrally

an-ˈse-strə-lē 

adverb

Examples of ancestral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The decision could have broad implications for descendants of Italian emigrants, particularly in North and South America, where large Italian diaspora communities have ancestral ties to Italy. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

Pratap, a Hindu who stays in India after partition, cut off from his ancestral home in East Bengal, and Mamun, a Muslim who makes his life in Dhaka. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

The 13 acres overlooking the river that bears their name have long been a part of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s ancestral homeland. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 28 July 2026

Mandarin is the language of formal schooling in China since middle school, and the result, as Li describes it, is a generation that speaks its ancestral dialect with growing unfamiliarity. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ancestral

• ancestral Pueblo
• ancestral Puebloan

Rhymes for ancestral

• orchestral
• kestrel

Kids Definition

ancestral

adjective

an·​ces·​tral an-ˈses-trəl 

: of, relating to, or developed from an ancestor

ancestral home

ancestrally

-trə-lē 

adverb