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

American Jewry is also dominated by a European-descendant establishment, despite a significant and growing population of Jews of color who can have real problems feeling accepted in the community. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, "Julia Salazar, the socialist politician accused of lying about her past, explained," 7 Sep. 2018 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

The property was previously owned by descendants of the inhabitants of the old village, who now live in the village below, and who pay us a visit around sunset. — Whitney Robinson, ELLE Decor, "Tour Michael Aram's two stunning homes in India," 12 Mar. 2019 Indeed, of the approximately 28 surviving monarchies around the world, five of them are held by descendants of Victoria. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Queen Victoria's Descendants Still Reign Over Europe," 17 Feb. 2019 The database contains authenticated information on more than 59,450 people in the fifth generation of the Mayflower passengers known to have descendants. — Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, "Was one of your ancestors on the Mayflower? You can find out now," 13 June 2018 His new project, The Romanoffs, is a mini-series centered around modern-day individuals who believe themselves to be the descendants of the last imperial family of Russia. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "How to Watch The Romanoffs," 9 Oct. 2018 Pennsylvania Dutch refers to those who immigrated to Southeastern Pennsylvania in the 18th century and to their descendants. — Indianapolis Star, "RECIPES: Classic Pennsylvania Dutch," 15 May 2018 The family Bible on a book home's parlor lists the early Geers and their descendants. — Janice Steinhagen, Courant Community, "Bed & Breakfast Opens At Geer Tree Farm," 10 May 2018 According to the lore of the show, Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) is a descendant of Wyatt Earp, who got the clan put under a curse. — Maureen Ryan, New York Times, "A Cult Show’s Recipe for Success: Whiskey, Twitter and Complex Women," 6 July 2018 For example, Baker City winemaker Travis Cook, 33, is a descendant of one of the last families to travel the trail, in 1894. — Terri Colby, chicagotribune.com, "Following in footsteps — or wagon ruts — of American history on Oregon Trail," 24 May 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.