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

Karki's attorneys have been fighting to stop his deportation to Bhutan — a small nation between India and China where Karki's family and others with Nepali ancestry were persecuted and driven out in the 1990s. —Juliana Kim, NPR, 11 Dec. 2025

Perhaps that is why tartan continues to epitomize such a rich sense of place and home, even for those of us without a trace of Scottish ancestry. —Cornelia Powers, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025

The team found that 64% of modern breed dogs carry some trace of wolf ancestry; meanwhile, every free-living village dog contains wolf DNA. —Jay Kakade december 09, New Atlas, 9 Dec. 2025

Early forensic work also suggested Eastern European ancestry, but recent genetic genealogy has narrowed that even further. —Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025

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