lineage

1 of 2

noun (1)

lin·​e·​age ˈli-nē-ij 

also ˈli-nij

1

a

: descent in a line from a common progenitor

b

: derivation

… the brand's lineage as a leather goods company.

—Colleen Barry

2

: a group of individuals tracing descent from a common ancestor

especially : such a group of persons whose common ancestor is regarded as its founder

lineage

2 of 2

noun (2)

line·​age

less common spelling of linage

: the number of lines of printed or written matter

Synonyms of lineage

Noun (1)

• ancestry
• pedigree
• origin
• genealogy
• breeding

Examples of lineage in a Sentence

Noun (1)

his Italian lineage was very important to him

it is now generally accepted that the lineage of Thomas Jefferson includes black as well as white members

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

SecureBio can sequence a genome in five days, but the genetic analysis can reveal much more information, such as a virus’s variant or lineage. —Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2026

An analysis of its DNA revealed their contaminant to be a type of Gloeobacterium, a lineage of photosynthetic microbes that branched off from cyanobacteria over 2 billion years ago. —Quanta Magazine, 10 June 2026

Surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, the city preserves the traditions of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples through towering cedar totem poles that tell stories of family lineage and legend. —Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Remember that people are still in jail for cannabis while an adjacent movement of other psychedelic plants has lineage holders being erased by uninitiated regulators and CEO’s. —Philip Wolf, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

lineage

noun

lin·​eage

ˈlin-ē-ij

1

: the ancestors from whom a person is descended

2

: the people descended from the same ancestor

Medical Definition

lineage

noun

lin·​e·​age

ˈlin-ē-ij also ˈlin-ij

1

: descent in a line from a common progenitor

2

: a group of individuals descended from a common ancestor

replication in T cell lineages