genealogy

noun ge·ne·al·o·gy \ ˌjē-nē-ˈä-lə-jē also -ˈa-lə- also ˌje-nē- \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of genealogy

plural genealogies

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 1) or older form : pedigree

3 : the study of family ancestral lines

4 : an account of the origin and historical development of something

—

genealogical

play \ˌjē-nē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl, ˌje-nē-\ adjective

—

genealogically

play \ˌjē-nē-ə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē, ˌje-nē-\ adverb

See genealogy defined for English-language learners

See genealogy defined for kids

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 of genealogy from the Web

Come to the Medina Library at noon April 28 to explore that genealogy and learn about all the changes at FamilySearch.org.

— 'sam' boyer/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "This lunch included a really colorful encounter: Whit & Whimsey," 6 Apr. 2018
If the internet’s fake news problem has a coherent genealogy, its lineage runs through Adams’s body of work.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "Who’s Afraid of David Hogg?," 6 Apr. 2018
For those interested in genealogy or for family members seeking information, names of individuals buried at Hopewell Cemetery can now be accessed online.

— forrest sellers, Cincinnati.com, "Names of individuals buried at Hopewell Cemetery can now be found online," 6 Apr. 2018
The story began to unfold decades later when Rowlette submitted a DNA sample to the genealogy website Ancestry.com last year.

— char adams, PEOPLE.com, "Woman Claims Parents' Fertility Doctor Used His Own Sperm to Impregnate Her Mother," 5 Apr. 2018
For decades, the 1920s Craftsman-style house at the corner of Monroe and Burmaster streets in Gretna was filled with tall tales, great adventures, sweeping biographies and family genealogies.

— susan langenhennig, NOLA.com, "Turning the page: Renovation transforms former Gretna bookstore into fresh, modern home," 4 Apr. 2018
The talk will illuminate the women’s genealogies and lives through primary and secondary source information.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Kiwanians raise 18K at Pancake breakfast," 26 Mar. 2018
Learn about the history and mission of the society, tour the library’s renowned genealogy collection, and discover how to get involved with events and committees.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Daughters of the American Revolution recruiting," 2 Apr. 2018
Discover your past: Avon Lake Public Library librarian and genealogist, Laura Ploenzke, will explain how to get started in genealogy and how the library can help at 7 p.m. March 27 in the Waugaman Gallery.

— julie a. short/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Community march for Parkland Saturday: Short Takes on Avon, Avon Lake and North Ridgeville," 19 Mar. 2018

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of genealogy

Middle English genealogie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin genealogia, from Greek, from genea race, family + -logia -logy; akin to Greek genos race

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year