lineage

noun (1)

lin·e·age | \ˈli-nē-ij also ˈli-nij

Definition of lineage

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : descent in a line from a common progenitor

b : derivation the gun's direct lineage is in the 1960s— Erik Larson

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

noun (2)

line·age

less common spelling of linage

: the number of lines of printed or written matter

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about lineage

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Examples of lineage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The jazz organ tradition is one of the uniquely great glories of Philadelphia’s music history, with a long lineage of players including Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Trudy Pitts, and both Papa John and Joey DeFrancesco, among many others. — Grace Dickinson, Philly.com, "Taylor Swift, 'Star Wars' with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and other great events in Philadelphia, July 13-20," 12 July 2018 Pterosaurs left no descendants but are a unique lineage of flying reptiles discovered in the 18th century. — National Geographic, "Why T. Rex Couldn't Waggle Its Tongue," 20 June 2018 The last few years, however, has seen a huge disruption in this lineage. — Dj Louie Xiv, Vanities, "Has 2018 Killed the Pop Star?," 22 June 2018 According to comparison with other ancient plague genomes, which let scientists sort the strains into a family tree, this lineage had been around since about 4,000 years ago. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "4,000-year-old genomes point to origins of bubonic plague," 12 June 2018 This lineage includes the emergence of dinosaurs and pterosaurs ~240 million years ago, passing through the theropod dinosaurs (whose members include T.rex and Velociraptor) and ends with birds. — Darren Griffin, Scientific American, "Jurassic World: Can We Really Resurrect a Dinosaur?," 6 June 2018 From Jenny Moroney's ancestors, Susan Palmer had the Moroney family tree and could trace Palmer's lineage to one of the 11 children of Thomas Moroney. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer long wondered if he's related to JFK; at 72, he learned the truth," 12 May 2018 Both were selected by the Dolphins, which is how John Bosa met and married Kumerow's sister, Cheryl, and this defensive end lineage was created. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com, "Nick Bosa could be No. 1 pick in 2019 NFL Draft, some teams believe," 28 Apr. 2018 Their work not only helped create a more organized tree for the bats, but also eventually revealed two distinct genetic lineages. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Two New Yellow-Bellied Bats May Have Been Found in Kenya," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lineage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.