descendant

adjective

de·scen·dant | \di-ˈsen-dənt

variants: or less commonly descendent

Definition of descendant

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : moving or directed downward listed in descendant order

2 : proceeding from an ancestor or source

descendant

noun

variants: or less commonly descendent

Definition of descendant (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : one originating or coming from an ancestral stock or source : one descended from another descendants of King David a descendant of an ancient grass

2 : one deriving directly from a precursor or prototype Italian and other descendants of Latin

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about descendant

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Did You Know?

Descendant is the opposite of ancestor. Your grandparents' descendants are those who are descended from them—your parents, your brothers and sisters, and any children that any of you may have. It's been claimed that every person on earth is a descendant of Muhammad, and of every historical person before him—Julius Caesar, the Buddha, etc.—who started a line of descent. (Some of us still find this hard to believe.) And not all descendants are human; every modern thesaurus, for example, could be called the descendant of the one devised by Peter Mark Roget in 1852.

Examples of descendant in a Sentence

Adjective

the descendant branches of a weeping willow

Noun

One of the famous inventor's descendants is also an inventor. Many people in this area are descendants of German immigrants. Recent evidence supports the theory that birds are the modern descendants of dinosaurs. The Italian language is one of Latin's descendants.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Today, local representatives from descendant communities visit the site twice a year and help guide the research. — Jon Hurdle, New York Times, "Ruined ‘Apartments’ May Hold Clues to Native American History," 4 Sep. 2017 The group was made up of friends of Ariana Rockefeller, the descendant grand-niece of the property's founder. — Avril Graham, Harper's BAZAAR, "Just Back From...A Long Weekend in Puerto Rico," 8 May 2017 A descendant sapling from a tree planted by children who were killed during the Holocaust was planted at Niles West High School Thursday, April 27, in honor of Arbor Day. — Mike Isaacs, chicagotribune.com, "Arbor Day: Sapling from tree grown during Holocaust planted at Niles West," 28 Apr. 2017 Protesters also poured into the streets of several cities in Chocó, the blackest department (comparable to a U.S. state), with an 80 percent African-descendant population. — Lori S. Robinson, The Root, "Fighting for Black Lives in Colombia: At War’s End, the Search for a Seat at the Table," 3 July 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

John was a 10th generation descendant of Thomas Hooker, founder of Hartford and the inspiration for the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "John deM. Hooker," 8 June 2018 Thomas, who also works as a real estate developer, is an eighth-generation descendant of the French Huguenots who came to Charles Town in 1686. — Karen Mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "From Federal Prison to Southern Charm: Thomas Ravenel's Ups and Downs," 3 May 2018 Eduardo Ranz, the lawyer for Manuel and Antonio Lapena’s descendants, says that relatives of Pedro Gil and Juan Gonzalez, two soldiers who died fighting for Franco’s national army, have also requested their remains be removed. — Aritz Parra, The Seattle Times, "Spain resumes controversial exhumations near Franco’s tomb," 23 Apr. 2018 Like a modern-day descendant of Huck Finn, Charlie decides to light out for the territory, experiencing a journey that allows Haigh to provide a spare and honest picture of where America is today, a portrait that is clearly one of his aims. — Kenneth Turan, latimes.com, "A lonely teen finds the horse he needs in 'Lean on Pete'," 5 Apr. 2018 Family descendants also are giving $2.6 million to replace the railing system on the 1,090-foot pier, which has long been used as a maritime research station. — Gary Robbins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Scripps Oceanography to overhaul one of its research centers," 5 Apr. 2018 Soda fountains and their fast food descendants were continuing to grow, spurring more sales of cups and straws. — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, "Disposable America," 21 June 2018 Those former slaves and their descendants, known as Americo-Liberians, have long clashed with the nation’s multifactioned indigenous population — one often mired in its own internal battles. — Jeremy Roebuck, Philly.com, "Accused Liberian's trial in Philly highlights complicated U.S. legacy in war-torn African nation," 15 June 2018 And Quindaro thrived for decades as a home for hundreds of former slaves and their descendants. — The Kansas City Star Editorial Board, kansascity, "KC's rich African-American history needs to be celebrated year-round," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'descendant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.