ancestral
adjective
an·ces·tral
an-ˈse-strəl 
: of, relating to, or inherited from an ancestor
ancestral estates
Examples of ancestral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But, for many American Jews, Zionism has come to represent the belief that there should be such a home—both because of the Jewish people’s ties to their ancestral land and because of the centuries of persecution that Jews endured, culminating with the Holocaust.
—
Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Most recently, the area’s Hmong, Vietnamese, and Laotian populations have begun opening dynamic Southeast Asian restaurants that offer creative spins on ancestral dishes.
—David Farley, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
The film recounts the struggle of local communities to protect a fragile and vital ecosystem that also serves as their ancestral home.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
The French Ivorian singer-songwriter, born Nelly Azia Seyden, finds beauty, too, in her ancestral Bété culture, which forms the core of her music.
—Chinonso Ihekire, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestral
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Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Most recently, the area’s Hmong, Vietnamese, and Laotian populations have begun opening dynamic Southeast Asian restaurants that offer creative spins on ancestral dishes.
—David Farley, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
The film recounts the struggle of local communities to protect a fragile and vital ecosystem that also serves as their ancestral home.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
The French Ivorian singer-songwriter, born Nelly Azia Seyden, finds beauty, too, in her ancestral Bété culture, which forms the core of her music.
—Chinonso Ihekire, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestral
Cite this Entry
“Ancestral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancestral. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ancestral
adjective
an·ces·tral
an-ˈses-trəl
: of, relating to, or developed from an ancestor
ancestral home
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