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

Behind the legal case are roughly 180 families whose ties to Lebanon span generations, like 70-year-old Mohamad Fayyad Reda, who moved back to his ancestral land after a long career with the Bank of New York on Wall Street. — Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Recognizing the past in the present and future For Wounaan, ancestral stories have relevance today, structuring and guiding life now and yet to come. — Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026

The Australian Museum has returned 18 ancestral remains to the people of Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island). — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

With enough genomic data, computers can be used to reconstruct what are called ancestral recombination graphs that try to reconstruct this history. — ArsTechnica, 31 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