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
Chef David Skinner, a member of the Choctaw Nation, holds court behind the counter, marrying modern technique with ancestral knowledge.
—
Carrie Honaker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026
Both her ancestral legacy and her gender identity now play a decisive role in her life.
—María Teresa Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Zionism is the national movement of the Jewish people, the belief that the Jewish people, like any other people, have the right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland.
—Elad Strohmayer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
When his grandmother also falls ill and prepares to cross the Kuriyako, the sacred place where her people go to die, an ancestral presence arrives in the house, blurring the boundary between the living and the dead.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
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Carrie Honaker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026
Both her ancestral legacy and her gender identity now play a decisive role in her life.
—María Teresa Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Zionism is the national movement of the Jewish people, the belief that the Jewish people, like any other people, have the right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland.
—Elad Strohmayer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
When his grandmother also falls ill and prepares to cross the Kuriyako, the sacred place where her people go to die, an ancestral presence arrives in the house, blurring the boundary between the living and the dead.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Apr. 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 28 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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