descend from
phrasal verb
descended from; descending from; descends from
: to have (something or someone in the past) as an origin or source
Recent evidence supports the theory that birds descended from dinosaurs.
The plants descend from a common ancestor.
They claim to be descended from a noble British family.
Examples of descend from in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cumulus-like sofas have descended from the skies into living rooms across Los Angeles and the country at large.
—
Dina Cheney, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
The crocs wandering the prehistoric Dominican Republic five million years ago were descended from carnivores that evolved back when dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex still roamed the planet.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
Said to be descended from Mongol emperor Chinggis (Genghis) Khan, Timur forged a vast empire across Asia in the fourteenth century.
—Dorothy Armstrong
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
Amish communities descend from Anabaptist Christians who fled persecution in Europe and emphasize living simply, eschewing many modern technologies.
—Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend from
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dina Cheney, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
The crocs wandering the prehistoric Dominican Republic five million years ago were descended from carnivores that evolved back when dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex still roamed the planet.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
Said to be descended from Mongol emperor Chinggis (Genghis) Khan, Timur forged a vast empire across Asia in the fourteenth century.
—Dorothy Armstrong
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
Amish communities descend from Anabaptist Christians who fled persecution in Europe and emphasize living simply, eschewing many modern technologies.
—Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend from
Cite this Entry
“Descend from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descend%20from. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share