descendant

1 of 2

adjective

de·​scen·​dant di-ˈsen-dənt 

variants or less commonly descendent

1

: moving or directed downward

listed in descendant order

2

: proceeding from an ancestor or source

descendant

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly descendent

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 of descendant

Adjective

• bowing
• nodding
• bowed
• weeping
• descending
• falling

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

Lansing shared the night with new friends like Spanish royal HRH Princess Eulalia de Orléans-Borbon and Winston Churchill's descendant Lady Araminta Spencer-Churchill. —Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025

The joy that African and Afro-descendant visitors described upon obtaining their All African People’s Community passport was overwhelming, and the sense of belonging to this global community was liberating. —Dread Scott, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025

Noun

Garvey envisaged a new nation built by the descendants of African slaves. —George Michael, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025

These page-turning stories will put characters like Pride and Prejudice’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility’s Eliza Williams at center stage in elevated fan fiction for Janeites. —Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English dessendaunte, from Anglo-French descendant, from Latin descendent-, descendens, present participle of descendere — see descend

Noun

French & Latin; French descendant, from Late Latin descendent-, descendens, from Latin

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for descendant

• appendant
• ascendant
• attendant
• defendant
• dependant
• dependent
• descendent
• intendant
• resplendent
• transcendent
• codefendant
• independent

Kids Definition

descendant

1 of 2 adjective

de·​scend·​ant

variants also descendent

di-ˈsen-dənt

1

: moving or directed downward

2

: proceeding from an ancestor or source

descendant

2 of 2 noun

variants also descendent

1

: one descended from another or from a common stock

2

: one coming directly from an earlier and usually similar type or individual

Legal Definition

descendant

noun

de·​scen·​dant

variants also descendent

di-ˈsen-dənt

: a blood relative of a later generation