ge·ne·al·o·gy | \ ˌjē-nē-ˈä-lə-jē 
also -ˈa-lə- also ˌje-nē- \
also -ˈa-lə- also ˌje-nē- \ plural genealogies
Definition of genealogy
1 : an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms
2 : regular descent of a person, family, or group of organisms from a progenitor (see progenitor sense 1) or older form : pedigree
3 : the study of family ancestral lines
4 : an account of the origin and historical development of something
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Other Words from genealogy
genealogical \ ˌjē-nē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl , ˌje-nē- \ adjective
, ˌje-nē- \ adjectivegenealogically \ ˌjē-nē-ə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē , ˌje-nē- \ adverb
, ˌje-nē- \ adverbSynonyms & Antonyms for genealogy
Synonyms
- ancestry,
- birth,
- blood,
- bloodline,
- breeding,
- descent,
- extraction,
- family tree,
- line,
- lineage,
- origin,
- parentage,
- pedigree,
- stock,
- strain
Antonyms
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Examples of genealogy in a Sentence
They've been researching their genealogies.
has a distinguished genealogy that traces back to William the Conqueror
Recent Examples on the Web Classes include exercise, history, genealogy, language, book discussion and yoga.
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Staff Reports, NOLA.com, "NOPD 4th District supervisors honored, and more metro community news," 13 Jan. 2021 For now, Vance said Oregon is relying on a $400,000 federal grant to cover the costs of detailed DNA and genealogy analysis by private labs.
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oregonlive, "‘We are throwing everything at it’: Genetic genealogy may help ID girl found off Oregon highway," 13 Jan. 2021 The cheerleaders of Popular, especially Mary Cherry, began a genealogy of Murphy characters who either idolize, or actually are, Gwyneth Paltrow—the foils for a menagerie of misfits who are obsessed with them.
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Jackson Mchenry, Vulture, "With a big Netflix deal and the power to green-light almost anything, Ryan Murphy has become the ultimate insider. And his work is suffering.," 4 Jan. 2021 Sheree Budge, reference librarian in the local history and genealogy section, said these letters provide a record of family histories and help researchers interpret moments in time through the eyes of individuals.
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Priscella Vega, Los Angeles Times, "In the year of the coronavirus, families across the U.S. reflect on the bright spots," 24 Dec. 2020 Using cutting-edge investigative genetic genealogy, (IGG), investigators tracked down a list of the perpetrator's potential relatives were able to narrow in on Waller as the suspect.
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Kelly Murray, CNN, "'NorCal' rapist Roy Waller sentenced to 897 years," 18 Dec. 2020 Investigators used genetic genealogy to link Byrd to the March 1998 incident, police said.
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Fox News, "Florida man arrested in 1998 kidnapping, rape after DNA on cigarette links him to case: police," 14 Dec. 2020 Plenty of people research their genealogy, or undertake local history projects.
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Jennifer Schuessler, chicagotribune.com, "Uncovering lost Black history, stone by stone," 26 Dec. 2020 Currently, no states restrict police use of genetic genealogy.
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Megan Molteni, Wired, "Cops Are Getting a New Tool For Family-Tree Sleuthing," 16 Dec. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'genealogy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for genealogy
genealogy
noun English Language Learners Definition of genealogy
: the study of family history
: the history of a particular family showing how the different members of the family are related to each other
See the full definition for genealogy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
genealogy
nounge·ne·al·o·gy | \ ˌjē-nē-ˈä-lə-jē \
\ plural genealogies
Kids Definition of genealogy
1 : a line of ancestors of a person or family or a history of such a line of ancestors
2 : the study of family lines of ancestors
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Comments on genealogy
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Time Traveler for genealogy
The first known use of genealogy was in the 14th century
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