ancestry

noun

an·​ces·​try ˈan-ˌse-strē 

1

: line of descent : lineage

especially : honorable, noble, or aristocratic descent

2

: persons initiating or comprising a line of descent : ancestors

Synonyms of ancestry

• lineage
• genealogy
• origin
• pedigree
• descent
• family
• breeding

Examples of ancestry in a Sentence

They claim to be of noble ancestry.

a person of unknown ancestry

She claims to be able to trace her ancestry all the way back to the earliest settlers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Multi-instrumentalist and dancer Saeid Shanbehzadeh, who traces his ancestry to Zanzibar, celebrates that heritage with his band, and specializes in the Iranian bagpipe and percussion. —Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 3 Mar. 2026

Robert Kuroda, who was unable to get work as a second-generation Japanese American in Hawaii solely because of his ancestry. —ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026

Now, for the first time in nearly 200 years, tortoises with Floreana ancestry have returned to Floreana Island, following the release last week of 158 individuals reared in a special captive breeding program. —Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026

The intriguing finding, published Thursday in the journal Science, could help explain why the Neanderthal ancestry that is present in humans today is unevenly distributed across the genome. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ancestry

noun

an·​ces·​try ˈan-ˌses-trē 

1

: line of descent

2

: one's ancestors