an·ces·tral
| \ an-ˈse-strəl
\
\
Definition of ancestral
: of, relating to, or inherited from an ancestor
ancestral estates
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Other Words from ancestral
ancestrally
\
an-ˈse-strə-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of ancestral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kassis also noticed a recent spate of cookbooks focused on the Levantine swath of Arab countries, sometimes written by authors with no ancestral ties to the region, and that might include things like chocolate-coconut cake.
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Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, "This cookbook finally restores ‘fusion’ cuisine to a place of dignity," 1 May 2021
Threaded with sightseeing excursions and language-immersion courses, the trips are designed to nurture visitors' relationships with their ancestral lands while often enhancing these countries' influence overseas.
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Betsy Blumenthal, Condé Nast Traveler, "These Group Trips Help Young Travelers Connect With Their Heritage," 28 Apr. 2021
In a normal year, hundreds or thousands of people with ancestral ties to the Texas Revolution, often joined by youth groups, would walk from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by the Tobin Center to the Alamo.
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San Antonio Express-News, "Daughters of the Republic of Texas continue Pilgrimage to the Alamo despite COVID-19," 21 Apr. 2021
Obama established Bears Ears on 1.35 million acres in San Juan County, substantially less than the 1.9 million sought by five tribes that share ancestral ties to these lands that were once inhabited by an ancient Puebloan civilization.
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Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Gov. Spencer Cox says Utah is ‘likely’ to sue if Biden unilaterally enlarges Bears Ears, Grand Staircase monuments," 17 Apr. 2021
Their ancestral lands stretch from Willapa Bay in Washington, across the Columbia River, and south through Oregon to Tillamook Head, along the Pacific Coast.
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Anna V. Smith/high Country News, oregonlive, "Members of Chinook Indian Nation liken lack of federal recognition to slow-motion ‘genocide’," 3 Apr. 2021
Tikkun Olam connects people during the Passover season beyond ancestral ties because anyone and everyone can play their part in healing the world, Brad said.
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Andre Toran, The Courier-Journal, "Ahead of Passover, these Louisvillians explain why they converted to Judaism later in life," 25 Mar. 2021
Biden has perhaps the closest ancestral ties to Ireland of any president since John F. Kennedy, with two of his great-great-grandparents, the Blewitts from County Mayo and the Finnegans from County Louth, having emigrated from Ireland.
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Molly Nagle, ABC News, "Biden puts St. Patrick's Day pride on display as he meets with Irish prime minister," 17 Mar. 2021
Tribes with a strong ancestral connection to Bears Ears, along with SVP and environmental groups, promptly filed lawsuits seeking to reverse the decisions, arguing that Trump overstepped his authority under the Antiquities Act.
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April Reese, Science | AAAS, "As Biden mulls reversing Trump’s monument cuts, researchers urge him to go big," 16 Mar. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ancestral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Last Updated
5 May 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Ancestral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancestral. Accessed 11 May. 2021.
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More Definitions for ancestral
ancestral
adjective
an·ces·tral
| \ an-ˈse-strəl
\
\
Kids Definition of ancestral
: of, relating to, or coming from an ancestor
They visited their ancestral home.
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Time Traveler for ancestral
The first known use of ancestral was in the 15th century
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