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

The allegations include landlords aiding and abetting interference, coercion, and intimidation based on race, ancestry, and national origin. —Darius Johnson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

What unites these animals is not shared ancestry, but shared selective pressure. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026

Meiklejohn believes the authors could use other methodologies like the FORensic Capture Enrichment panel, designed to isolate human DNA for identifying extended kinship, ancestry and phenotype analysis. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026

Around 50 people of African ancestry have migrated to Benin from countries including the US under a citizenship program endorsed by Hollywood filmmaker Spike Lee. —Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 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